J?^ 


S 

US 

1Q2 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


D    000  880  698    6 
1     DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

ION  WITH  THE  UTAH  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION, 
RIS,  DIRECTOR;  D.  S.  JENNINGS,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY. 


URVEY  OF  THE  DELTA  AREA, 
UTAH. 


BY 


A.  T.  STRAHORN,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

In  Charge,  H.  STUCKI,  and  D.  S.  JENNINGS,  of  the 

Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


MACY  H.  LAPHAM,  Inspector,  Western  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1922. 


BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 


Milton  Whitney,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
Albebt  G.  Rice,  Assistant  to  Chief. 

SOIL   SURVEY. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut,  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumann,  Executive  Assistant. 

COMMITTEE  ON  THE  CORRELATION  AND  CLASSIFICATION  OF  SOILS. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut,  Chairman. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
W.  Edward  Hearn,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
Thomas  D.  Rice,  Inspector.  Northern  Division. 
W.  E.  McLendon,  Inspector,  Northern  Division. 
Macy  H.  Lapham,  Inspector.  Western  DiAision. 

Louise  L.  Martin,  Secretary. 


o 
I 


< 

(Xi 

o 
o 

UJ 

JL 

00 

o 

*-• 


>0 

O 

I 


o 

00 

o 

f\j 

£J 

> 
O 

a 
o 


0; 

a: 
Oj 

3- 

rr 
o 


c 


o^         U) 


CO 


TO 

z 


o 
o 

m 


o 


n 

c 

C 


>0 


O  >— '  I"" 

•  O  I 
U)  t^  ■t^ 

•  ui    Q; 
to  C 

<-  O    3 


—  rr 

ui  a. 

c 

< 


tn 

rr 
O  Oi 
-<    rr 

(D 
O  «/> 
-t^  • 

v^ 
rr  a 
D"  CB 
(ti   C 

C)  ^ 

—  C 
rr 

Q;    O 
-ft 
0) 

0)   o 
a,  — 

■*    ~* 

c  • 

rr 
Qi 


rr 

o 

3 


rr 

c 
o 


O 

o 


o 
o 

n 
o 

3 
o 

OC 
OC 

»-n 
o 
\s\ 

o 


o 

o 


m 

2 
O 


c 
c 


>0 


r* 

3 
O 


00 

:» 


o 

+ 
o 
o 
r- 
o 
I 
o 

OD 
CD 

o 

0& 

o 

C 
C 


O 


rn 
O 


lO 

l?3 

m 

H 


o 


0 

rr 

Q^ 

ui 

!^ 

w 

Q^ 

cr 

a> 

"^ 

rr 

(I 

X 

rr 

£b 

3 

a 

(D 

^- 

3 

O 

< 

h- 

ft 

v/f 

— < 

OJ 

O 

OD 

x> 

ro 

(^ 

o 

o 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  UTAH  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION, 
F.  S.  IIARRI8,  DIRECTOR;  D.  S.  JENNINGS,  IN  CHARGE  SOIL  SURVEY. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  DELTA  AREA, 

UTAH. 


BY 


A.  T.  STRAHORN,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

In  Charge,  H.  STUCKI,  and  D.  S.  JENNINGS,  of  the 

Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


MACY  H.  LAPHAM,  Inspector,  Western  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  tlie  Bureau  of  Soils,  1919.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1922. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  11, 1922. 
Sir  :  Under  the  cooperative  agreement  with  the  Utah  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,  F.  S.  Harris,  director,  a  soil  survey  of  the  Delta 
area  was  carried  to  completion  during  the  field  season  of  1919. 

I  hate  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  and  map 
covering  this  work  and  to  recommend  their  publication  as  advance 
sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1919,  as  author- 
ized by  law. 

Respectfully, 

MiLTOx  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  H.  C.  Wallace, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture, 

2 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
SojL  Survey  of  the  Delta  Akea,  Utah.     By  A.  T.  Strahobn,  of  the 

r.  S.  Depaktmext  of  Agbiculti'Be,  In  Chabcie,  and  H.  Stvcki  and  D.  S. 

Jennings,  of  the  Utah  Agbicultt-ral  Experiment  Station 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 7 

Agriculture 8 

Soils 10 

Cache  loam 15 

Cache  silty  clay  loam 15 

Woodrow  clay  loam 17 

Woodrow   clay 18 

Oasis  fine  sandy  loam 20 

Oasis  silty  clay  loam 21 

Oasis  clay 23 

Gordon   clay 25 

Abbott  clay 28 

Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam 30 

Lahontan  clay  loam 31 

Dunesand 31 

Rough  stony  land 31 

Alkali  and  drainage 32 

Irrigation 35 

Summary 37 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


colobed  platf. 

Page. 
Plate  A.  Alkali  map.  Delta  area  sheet 32 

plates. 

Plate  I.  Fig.  1. — Exposed  section  in  bank  of  Sevier  River  at  spillway  of 

Gunnison  Bend  Reservoir.    Fig.  2. — Alfalfa  on  Oasis  clay 16 

II.  Fig.  1. — Growth  of  greasewood  on  Oasis  clay.     Fig.  2. — Area 

of  Gordon  clay,  slick  phiise 16 

III.  Fig.  1. — Old  drainage  canal  in  low,  water-logged  part  of  the 
area.  Fig.  2. — Recently  excavated  drainage  ditch  made  with 
dredger 16 

figube. 

Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Delta  area,  Utah 5 

map. 

Soil  map,  Delta  area  sheet.  Utah. 

3 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  DELTA  AREA,  UTAH. 

By  A.  T.  STRAHORN,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  In  Charge,  and 
H.  STUCKI  and  D.  S.  JENNINGS,  of  the  Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Sta- 
tion.—Area  Inspected  by  MACY  H.  LAPHAM. 


DESCRIPTIOX  OK  THE  AREA. 

The  Delta  area  is  located  in  the  west-central  part  of  the  State  of 
Utah  about  140  miles  by  rail  south  and  slightly  west  of  Salt  Lake 
City.  The  area  lies  in  the  Sevier  Desert  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
Millard  County.  The  boundaries  of  the  area,  which  follow  town- 
ship and  section  lines,  include  all  the  land  within  the  several  recently 
organized  drainage  districts  in  the  valley, 
as  well  as  the  adjacent  lands  lying  near 
some  of  the  larger  irrigation  canals.  The 
area  is  approximately  "20  miles  in  length 
from  north  to  south,  averages  about  8 
miles  in  width,  and  contains  about  180 
square  miles,  or  115,200  acres  of  land. 

Topograpliically,  the  area  consists  of  a 
part  of  the  Lynn  Bench  and  its  southern 
extension  occurring  along  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  area,  and  the  lower  mod- 
erately sloping  floor  of  the  Sevier  Desert. 
The  Lynn  Bench  is  an  extensive  terrace 
rising  from  50  to  75  feet  above  the  lower 
lands.  The  terrace  margin  is  well  defined 
and  steeply  sloping  to  eroded;  the  terrace  surface  is  smooth  to 
gently  rolling,  and  is  marked  by  occasional  small  mounds  of  wind- 
blown sand.  The  southern  extension  of  the  Lynn  Bench  is  a 
smooth  to  sharply  rolling  plain  lying  between  the  floor  of  the  desert 
and  the  base  of  the  mountains  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  valley. 
The  western  boundary  of  this  plain  lies  just  within  the  eastern 
boundar}'  of  the  area  surveyed.  In  places  the  western  edge  of  the 
plain  is  eroded  and  well  definad,  but  in  most  places  it  passes  into 
the  lower  lands  through  smooth,  gentle  slopes  and  with  impercepti- 
ble changes  in  soil  materials.    The  Sevier  Desert,  constituting  part 

5 


Fig.    1. — Sketch    map    showing 
location  of  Delta  area,  Utah. 


6  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF  THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

of  the  bottom  of  former  Lake  Bonneville,  is  a  rather  smooth  plain 
sloping  soutli,  west,  and  north  from  the  western  margin  of  the 
Lynn  Bench.  The  surface  elevation  of  this  plain  ranges  from  about 
4,565  feet  to  4,640  feet  above  sea  level.  The  slope  ranges  from  5 
feet  per  mile  to  20  feet  per  mile.  The  principal  irregularities  of 
surface  are  the  depressed  channel  and  flood  plain  of  the  Sevier 
River  and  a  somewhat  rolling  topography  in  the  extreme  southern 
and  western  parts  of  the  area.  In  these  rolling  districts  there  are 
occasional  knolls  and  ridges  from  6  to  12  feet  in  height,  and  in 
many  places  a  very  low,  irregular,  broken  terrace  may  be  traced  for 
considerable  distances.  Below  this  terrace  the  land  is  exceedingly 
smooth  and  with  hardly  any  slope.  The  Sevier  Eiver  crosses  the 
area  in  a  southwesterly  direction  and  occupies  a  channel  from  6  to 
30  feet  or  more  below  the  level  of  the  plain.    Southward  for  about 

7  miles  from  the  point  where  the  river  enters  the  area  it  meanders 
through  a  narrow  flood  plain  inclosed  by  vertical  or  steeply  sloping 
bluffs.  South  of  this  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  area  the  river 
follows  a  tortuous  course,  flowing  in  a  narrow  channel  and  having 
no  flood  plains.  Other  minor  irregularities  in  the  surface  of  the 
plain  include  occasional  small  sand  dunes  scattered  throughout  the 
area  and  old  abandoned  stream  channels.  Most  of  the  latter  are 
isolated,  short,  narrow  depressions  only  a  fewl  feet  in  depth,  but  in 
two  cases  such  channels  are  continuous  for  several  miles. 

The  Sevier  River  and  Tenmile  Hollow  Creek  drain  the  Delta  area. 
The  Sevier  River  and  its  tributaries  have  their  source  in  the  elevated 
plateaus  in  the  Sevier  Mountains,  about  120  miles  south  of  this  area. 
The  river  takes  a  general  northerly  course  to  a  point  some  30  miles 
northeast  of  Delta,  and,  turning  sharply  to  the  southwest,  crosses 
the  desert  and  discharges  into  Sevier  Lake,  some  25  miles  southwest 
of  the  town  of  Delta.  Tenmile  Hollow  Creek  is  a  small  intermittent 
stream  southeast  of  Delta,  which  gathers  surface  and  seepage  waters 
along  its  course  and  discharges  into  Mud  Lake,  a  short  distance  south 
of  the  area. 

The  Sevier  Desert  was  apparently '  first  visited  by  white  men  in 
1776,  when  two  Franciscan  friars,  Escalante  and  Dominguez,  passed 
southward  in  search  of  a  route  between  the  mission  at  Santa  Fe  and 
the  missions  on  the  California  coast.  From  about  1825  until  shortly 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Mormons  at  the  present  site  of  Salt  Lake 
City  in  1847  numerous  trappers  and  explorers  passed  through  this 
part  of  the  State,  but  it  was  not  until  about  1851-52  that  the  first 
permanent  settlement  was  made.  At  that  time  Brigham  Young 
selected  a  site  on  Chalk  Creek  (about  30  miles  southeast  of  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Delta)  for  the  first  capital  of  the  Territory  of  Utah. 
This  settlement  was  knoAvn  as  Fillmore,  and  has  been  the  county 
seat  since  the  organization  of  Millard  County.     Other  settlements. 


SOIL-  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,   UTAH.  7 

such  as  Oak  City,  Holden,  and  Meadow,  sprang  up  later  along  the 
western  base  of  the  Canyon  Mountains,  in  situations  where  the  moun- 
tain streams  afforded  a  supply  of  water  for  domestic  use  and  for 
the  irrigation  of  small  tracts  of  land.  Development  on  the  floor 
of  the  desert  did  not  take  place  until  about  1860,  when  some  land  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  this  area  was  irrigated  by  the  diversion  of 
water  from  the  Sevier  River.  Oasis  was  established  upon  the  con- 
struction of  the  Utah  Central  Railroad,  about  1875,  between  Salt 
Lake  City  and  Milford.  This  road,  known  as  the  Los  Angeles  & 
Salt  Lake  Railroad,  was  later  extended  to  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  and 
is  now  a  part  of  the  Union  Pacific  System. 

The  pojDulation  of  the  area  is  largely  rural.  Delta,  Hinckley, 
Oasis,  and  Deseret  are  the  larger  towns  in  the  area.  Delta  being  the 
commercial  center  of  the  district.  Sutherland,  Woodrow,  and  Sugar- 
ville  are  crossroad  stores  northwest  of  Delta,  and  Steele,  Erwin, 
Abbott,  Wilson,  Gordon,  Lucerne,  and  La  Moto  are  sidings  on  a 
branch  line  of  railroad  where  facilities  are  available  for  the  loading 
of  sugar  beets  during  the  harvest  season. 

The  main  line  of  the  Los  Angeles  &  Salt  Lake  Railroad  passes 
through  the  area  in  a  northeast-southwest  direction  and  affords  out- 
lets to  eastern,  northern,  and  Pacific  coast  markets.  A  branch  line 
extending  northwest  from  Delta  is  largely  utilized  for  transporting 
sugar  beets  to  the  factory  at  that  place. 

The  area  is  well  supplied  with  earth  roads.  Similar  roads  extend 
east  and  south  to  the  outlying  settlements  along  the  base  of  the  Can- 
yon Range,  and  two  wagon  roads  extend  west  into  Nevada.  The 
roads  are  usually  in  good  condition  when  dry,  but  ape  often  impass- 
able during  the  irrigation  season,  owing  to  the  careless  use  of  irriga- 
tion water. 

CLIMATE. 

With  the  exception  of  an  unofficial  record  of  the  rainfall  at  Deseret 
for  a  number  of  years,  there  are  no  climatic  data  available  for  the 
Delta  area. 

The  annual  precipitation  for  this  region  is  apparently  about  8 
inches,  the  larger  part  being  in  the  fonn  of  rain.  June,  July,  and 
August  are  usually  the  driest  months  of  the  year,  and  about  50  per 
cent  of  the  annual  precipitation  comes  in  the  months  of  February 
to  May,  inclusive.  During  the  spring  months  the  storms  occasionally 
bring  sufficient  rain  to  help  the  early  growth  of  crops,  and  the  fall 
rains  may  be  of  some  aid  to  fall-sown  grain,  but  during  the  rest  of 
the  growing  season  the  precipitation  is  very  light,  and  irrigation  is 
necessary  for  crop  production.  The  snowfall  is  light  and  seldom 
covers  the  ground,  except  for  short  periods  after  the  heavier  storms. 
Hail  and  electrical  storms  are  rare. 


8  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,    1919. 

The  seasonal  temperatures  seem  to  vary  from  somewhat  over  100° 
F.  during  the  summer  months  to  probably  as  low  as  —15°  during  the 
winter  season.  Killing  frosts  in  the  fall  usually  occur  early  in  Sep- 
tember and  are  a  matter  of  considerable  importance,  as  the  yield  of 
alfalfa  seed  and  hay  may  be  seriously  affected  by  early  freezing 
temperatures.  The  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  usually  occurs 
late  in  May,  and  although  unseasonably  low  temperatures  may,  in 
occasional  years,  do  some  damage  during  the  growing  season  the  prin- 
cipal crops  (alfalfa,  grain,  and  sugar  beets)  seldom  suffer  any 
material  injury. 

The  wind  movement  is  usually  high  during  spring  and  smnmer, 
and  low  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  Strong  southerly  winds  often 
blow  for  days  at  a  time  during  summer,  making  haying  operations 
difficult,  and  affecting  the  water  content  of  the  irrigated  soils.  The 
direction  of  the  prevailing  winds  is  north, 

AGRICULTURE. 

Agriculture  in  the  Delta  area  had  its  beginning  about  I860,  when  a 
small  colony  of  settlers  from  Fillmore  began  the  irrigation  and  cul- 
tivation of  the  lands  south  of  the  present  town  of  Deseret.  Water 
was  diverted  from  the  Sevier  Eiver,  but  as  there  were  no  storage 
facilities  the  supply  was  uncertain  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
growing  season.  Owing  to  this  and  the  isolation  of  the  district,  de- 
velopment was  very  slow.  It  was  not  until  about  30  years  ago  that 
the  districts  around  Abraham,  Hinckley,  and  Oasis  were  brought 
under  irrigation  through  the  storage  in  and  diversion  of  water  from 
the  Gunnison  Bend  Reservoir.  The  region  south  of  Delta  and  in  the 
northern  parts  of  the  area  east  of  the  Abraham  district  were  opened 
to  settlement  about  10  years  ago,  following  the  construction  of  addi- 
tional storage  works  on  the  Sevier  River  some  distance  north  of  the 
town  of  Delta. 

Alfalfa  hay  and  seed  were  practically  the  only  crops  grown  in  the 
valley  10  or  12  years  ago.  During  that  time  some  of  the  hay  was 
fed,  but  the  larger  part  of  it  was  baled  and  shipped  to  outside  mar- 
kets. When  the  northern  and  eastern  parts  of  the  area  were  de- 
veloped, a  considerable  acreage  was  devoted  to  grain.  The  growing 
of  grain  has  lately  been  extended  to  the  older  districts,  but  the  largest 
acreage  is  still  in  the  northern  part  of  the  area.  Sugar  beets  have 
become  one  of  the  leading  crops  of  the  district  within  the  last 
4  years. 

The  last  season  (1918)  grain  occupied  about  9,000  acres,  80  per  cent 
of  which  was  fall-sown  wheat.  The  average  yield  is  less  than  10 
bushels  per  acre.  Grain  is  irrigated  by  flooding,  usually  once  in  the 
fall,  and  once  or  twice  in  the  spring,  depending  upon  the  soil  and  the 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,   UTAH.  9 

season.  Spring-sown  grain  is  often  irrigated  four  or  five  times. 
Fall-sown  grain  is  the  principal  crop  on  newly  broken  ground,  and 
upon  old  ground  it  commonly  follows  native  grass  or  sugar  beets. 

Alfalfa,  which  was  grown  on  about  13,000  acres  during  1918,  is 
sown  only  upon  land  that  has  been  under  cultivation  for  some  time. 
Some  difficulty  is  commonly  experienced  in  obtaining  good  stands  of 
this  crop.  Apparently  this  is  partly  due  to  the  absence  of  the  neces- 
sary bacteria,  and  very  often  to  the  crusting  and  baking  of  the 
surface  of  the  heavier  soils.  Two  or  three  cuttings  of  hay  a  season 
and  some  fall  pasturage  are  obtained  if  no  seed  is  ripened.  ^\Tien  seed 
is  desired,  only  one  cutting  of  hay  is  made,  about  the  1st  of  July,  and 
the  following  growth  is  allowed  to  mature.  The  seed  crop  is  usually 
cut  early  in  September,  and  is  occasionally  affected  in  both  quantity 
and  quality  by  early  frosts.  In  1918  the  average  yield  of  seed  in  the 
district  was  about  0  bushels  per  acre.  The  1919  crop  was  all  con- 
tracted for  at  prices  ranging  from  22  to  29  cents  per  pound.  Alfalfa 
hay  is  selling  (1919)  for  about  $20  a  ton  in  the  stack. 

Sugar  beets  are  grown  only  upon  land  that  has  been  under  cultiva- 
tion for  some  time,  and  it  is  the  prevailing  opinion  that  they  do 
best  when  grown  on  land  previously  in  alfalfa.  This  year  (1919) 
about  10,000  acres  were  in  beets,  and  the  average  yield  was  about  6 
tons  per  acre.  Under  contracts  with  the  sugar  factory  in  effect  for 
this  season,  the  farmers  were  paid  a  flat  rate  of  $10  per  ton. 

The  growing  of  vegetables  and  fruits  is  rarel}'  attempted,  although 
there  is  no  reason  why  this  area  should  not  produce  a  sufficient 
supply  of  fruits  and  vegetables,  except  the  more  tender,  to  meet  the 
local  demands.  The  prevalence  of  late  spring  frosts  will  probably 
prevent  fruit  growing  becoming  a  commercial  enterprise.  Small 
quantities  of  fruits  and  vegetables  are  brought  into  this  district 
from  settlements  on  the  east,  but  the  larger  proportion  of  such 
perishables  come  from  California  and  Idaho,  and  from  the  older 
farming  districts  of  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  Dairjdng  has 
received  little  attention  up  to  the  present  time,  although  there  are  no 
reasons  why  this  should  not  become  one  of  the  important  industries 
of  the  valley.  Few  cattle  are  raised  within  the  area,  but  cattle  from 
outside  points  are  fed  during  tlie  winter  in  increasing  numbers. 

No  commercial  fertilizers  are  used  in  the  area,  and  but  very  little 
of  the  land  receives  any  manure  or  other  form  of  organic  material. 
Most  of  the  soils  have  a  very  unfavorable  structure,  so  that  they 
bake  and  crack  after  the  application  of  water.  This  structure  not 
only  makes  the  usual  tillage  operations  difficult,  but  it  often  makes  it 
difficult  to  secure  satisfactory  stands  of  young  plants. 

96177°— 22 2 


10  FIELD   OPERATIOiSIS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1^19. 

SOILS. 

The  valley  in  which  the  Delta  area  lies  is  structural  in  origin, 
being  due  to  faulting  and  block  movement,  the  Pavant  Eange,  bound- 
ing it  on  the  east,  consisting  of  a  raised  block  and  the  valley  a 
depressed  one. 

The  original  valley  surface  over  the  whole  area  included  in  the 
Delta  soil  survey  has  been  covered  to  great  depth  by  rock  waste, 
probably  brought  into  the  valley  mainly  by  the  Sevier  River  and  de- 
posited partly  in  a  great  lake  (Lake  Bonneville)  once  occupying^ 
it  and  to  some  extent  by  local  wash  from  the  adjacent  Pavant  Range. 

It  is  possible  that  more  or  less  material  from  various  lands  around 
the  now  extinct  lake  reached  this  valley  and  was  deposited  in  it 
during  the  period  when  the  lake  was  in  existence.  The  essential 
fact  about  the  material  is  that  it  came  from  geologic  formations 
not  only  varying  greatly  in  age — from  Devonian  to  Tertiary — but  as 
widely  in  their  lithologic  and  mineralogic  characters.  The  Sevier 
River  and  its  tributaries  that  have  contributed  material  to  this  area 
drain  areas  of  sandstone,  limestone,  volcanic  rocks,  probably  volcanic 
ash,  and  shale.  It  traverses  also  beds  of  gypsum,  rock  salt,  rocks 
with  high  percentages  of  sodium  and  magnesium  salts,  alum  salts, 
and  alunite.  It  can  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  deposits  consist  of 
an  extremely  wide  range  of  geologic  and  mineralogic  material.^ 

The  older  sediments  have  been  deeply  buried  and  appear  only  at 
the  higher  levels  of  the  former  lake,  and  within  the  Delta  area 
heavy  compact  stratified  materials  that  appear  to  represent  such 
deposits  are  found  in  only  a  very  few  localities.  The  lighter  tex- 
tured materials  deposited  within  the  basin  are  usually  finely  strati- 
fied, and  the  abrupt  variations  in  the  texture  of  the  sediments  ap- 
pear to  indicate  that  the  fluctuations  in  the  depth  of  the  lake  may 
have  been  sharply  defined,  there  being  long  periods  of  submergence 
when  silts  and  clays  predominated  in  the  sediments,  and  periods 
of  recession  when  the  coarser  textured  materials  were  carried  far- 
ther into  the  lake.  Aside  from  the  local  erosion  of  the  sediments 
by  the  Sevier  River,  as  it  develops  its  depressed  flood  plain,  the 
soils  are  stable  at  the  present  time,  and  there  has  been  but  little 
change  in  the  topography  or  the  distribution  of  soil  material  since 
the  disappearance  of  Sevier  Lake. 

Plate  I,  Figure  1,  shows  an  exposure  of  the  sedimentary  deposits 
of  the  desert  floor.  Within  the  delta  of  the  Sevier  River,  these  con- 
sist in  part  of  compact,  light-colored,  stratified  clays,  and  more  ex- 
tensively of  light-textured,  porous,  gravelly  materials,  the  former 
being  old  lacustrine  sediments  and  the  latter  apparently  represent- 

'  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  MonoKraph  No.   1. 

'  This  statement  is  based  on  information  furnished  by  Dr.  William  Petersen,  director 
Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,    UTAH.  11 

ing  what  was  a  submerged  delta  of  the  Sevier  River  at  a  time  when 
Lake  Bonneville  may  have  been  somewhat  below  its  maximum  level. 
The  remainder  of  the  deposits  in  the  area  represent  materials  that 
were  carried  by  the  Sevier  River  into  the  fluctuating  Sevier  Lake. 
The  source  of  much  of  the  older  sediments  is  unknown,  but  the 
more  recent  materials,  coming  from  within  the  watershed  of  the 
Sevier  River,  have  been  derived  largely  from  sandstone  and  shale, 
and  metamorphosed  sediments  represented  mainly  by  reddish  quartz- 
ites.  Areas  of  igneous  rocks  also  occur  in  the  higher  regions  of  the 
watershed,  but  as  they  are  less  easily  eroded  they  have  probably 
contributed  little  to  the  formation  of  the  present  soils.  Notwith- 
standing this  supposed  derivation  of  the  soil  material  from  non- 
carbonate  rocks,  all  the  soils  have  a  high  lime  content,  ranging,  in 
those  so  far  analjzed,  up  to  20  per  cent  or  more  of  the  air-dried 
sample. 

With  the  exception  of  minor  areas  of  Dunesand  and  Rough  stony 
land,  all  of  the  soils  within  the  area  are  classed  in  the  old-valley 
filling  group.  They  are  formed  therefore  from  waterlaid  deposits 
that  have  undergone  physical  and  probably  chemical  changes  through 
weathering  since  they  were  accumulated.  The  physical  changes  are 
manifested  in  the  surface  soils  by  certain  conditions  of  structure 
which  range  from  smooth,  hard,  and  compact,  to  loose  and  puffy. 
A  mottling  of  colors  is  commonly  present  in  the  heavier  textured 
subsoils,  and  a  compacted  layer  is  usually  found  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface.  The  group  is  represented  locallj'^  by  seven  series  of  soils. 
Each  series  has  certain  rather  pronounced  and  consistent  character- 
istics of  color  and  structure  that  distinguish  it  from  the  other  series. 
Each  of  these  series  of  soils  is  divided  into  soil  types,  the  differen- 
tiation of  these  being  based  upon  differences  in  texture  determined 
by  the  relative  content  of  sand,  silt,  and  clay. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Lynndyl  series  and  the  two  types  of 
miscellaneous  materials,  the  topography  of  these  types  is  that  of  a 
smooth,  moderately  sloping  plain,  broken  in  the  southern  and  western 
parts  of  the  area  by  a  low  rolling  surface.  All  these  series  are  mark- 
edlj'  calcareous  in  both  the  surface  soil  and  subsoil,  and,  although  no 
hardpan  is  present,  the  soils  of  one  series  show  a  slight  tendency 
toward  cementation  a  few  inches  below  the  surface. 

In  color  the  surface  soils  range  from  light  brown  to  dark  gray.  The 
soil  materials  are  seldom  sharply  defined  by  color  differences,  but 
merge  one  into  another  through  faint  gradations,  and  the  soil  bound- 
aries, as  shown  upon  the  map,  seldom  represent  distinct  lines  of 
demarcation  but  rather  mark  the  approximate  center  of  a  zone  of 
color  transition.  Not  only  is  it  a  difficult  matter  to  establish  a 
satisfactory  differentiation  of  the  soils  in  this  survey  on  a  basis  of 
color,  but  distinction  on  a  basis  of  texture  is  often  equally  illu- 


12  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1919. 

sive.  This  is  due  mainly  to  the  large  amount  of  silt  in  all  the  heavier 
types,  and  also  to  a  pronounced  flocculation  of  the  materials  in  the 
surface  soils,  which  makes  the  soil  texture  appear  to  be  lighter  than 
it  really  is. 

In  the  virgin  soils  throughout  the  area  there  is  developed  con- 
sistently a  thin  surface  crust  beneath  which  there  occurs  a  layer  a 
few  inches  thick  of  a  loose,  jflocculated  material.  The  same  feature 
develops  in  the  areas  that  have  been  left  out  of  cultivation  for  a 
year  or  so.  This  peculiarity  is  less  pronounced  in  the  soils  of  the 
Lynndj'^l  series,  and  usually  most  strongly  developed  in  the  heavier 
textured  types  of  the  other  series.  Hard,  barren,  playa-like  surfaces 
are  developed  in  a  number  of  localities,  and  in  two  places  were  of 
sufficient  extent  to  be  mapped  as  a  soil  phase. 

All  the  types  mapped  in  this  area  were  developed  under  arid 
conditions.  The}'^  are  treeless,  rather  low  in  content  of  organic 
matter,  and  unleached,  and  contain  much  lime  in  both  surface  soil 
and  subsoil. 

The  arable  soils  mapped  in  the  Delta  area  are  classed  in  the  Cache, 
Woodrow,  Oasis,  Gordon,  Abbott,  Lynndyl,  and  Lahontan  series. 
Dunesand  and  Rough  stony  land  comprise  two  additional  nonagricul- 
tural  types  of  miscellaneous  materials. 

The  types  of  the  Cache  series  are  characterized  by  light  brownish 
gray  or  light  grayish  brown  surface  soils,  with  a  pinkish  or  reddish 
tint,  and  a  light  pinkish  gray  subsoil.  Both  surface  soil  and  sub- 
soil are  highly  calcareous,  and  the  lime  gives  a  light-gray  color  to 
dry  field  surfaces  and  samples,  and  particularly  to  samples  of  the 
subsoil.  The  substratum  consists  of  calcareous  lake-laid  silts  and 
clays,  stratified,  compact,  and  in  places  jointed,  and  of  pinkish 
or  light  reddish  brown  color.  In  this  area  the  surface  soils  under 
moist  field  conditions  are  somewhat  browner  than  in  areas  pre- 
viously mapped,  and  the  subsoil  is  not  so  pink  and  in  places  includes 
darker  colored  strata.  The  soils  are  derived  from  old  lake-laid  de- 
posits which  had  their  source  mainly  in  limestones,  quartzites,  and 
other  sedimentary  rocks.  The  topography  is  flat,  and  the  drainage 
in  most  places  rather  poor,  the  internal  movement  of  water  being  re- 
tarded by  the  compact  heavy  subsoil.  The  soils  were  developed 
under  conditions  of  low  rainfall.  They  are  treeless,  and  in  places 
contain  excessive  amounts  of  alkali  salts.  The  Cache  loam  and  the 
Cache  silty  clay  loam  are  mapped  in  this  area. 

The  surface  soils  of  the  Woodrow  series,  when  dry,  are  prevail- 
ingly light  grayish  brown  to  gray  in  color,  with  considerable  areas 
of  grayish -brown  and  dark-gray  variations,  and  small  local  areas 
in  which  the  color  approaches  a  light  reddish  brown  when  moist. 
The  subsoil  is  of  heawv  texture  and  light-brown  color,  modified  by 
thin  strata  of  red,  reddish  brown,  and  black  and  by  mottlings  of 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA   AREA,    UTAH.  13 

gray  and  reddish  brown.  The  surface  is  usually  smooth,  thouprh  in 
places  gently  rolling.  Surface  and  internal  drainage  are  sufficient 
under  conditions  of  normal  rainfall,  but  the  heavy  subsoil  retards 
the  escape  of  irrigation  water,  and  areas  of  alkali  and  water-logged 
soils  occur.  Two  types  of  the  Woodrow  series  are  mapped  in  this 
area,  the  clay  loam  and  the  clay. 

In  the  Oasis  series  the  color  of  the  surface  soils  is  like  that  of  the 
Woodrow  series,  except  that  the  reddish-brown  color  occurring  in 
places  in  the  "VVoodrow  soils  does  not  occur  in  the  Oasis.  As  with 
the  Woodrow  series,  the  boundaries  between  types  of  this  and  of  the 
associated  Gordon  and  Abbott  series  are  indefinite.  The  subsoil, 
though  generally  light  textured,  may  contain  thin  strata  of  heavier 
materials,  prevailingly  light  brown,  with  local  variations  of  light 
yellowish  brown.  The  topography  of  the  Oasis  soils  ranges  from 
smooth  and  gently  sloping  to  slightly  undulating.  The  drainage 
afforded  by  the  light-textured  subsoil  is  ample  to  care  for  the  normal 
precipitation,  but  where  large  amounts  of  irrigation  water  are  used 
areas  of  water-logged  soils  occur.  Three  types  and  two  phases  of 
this  series  are  mapped  in  this  area — ^the  Oasis  fine  sandy  loam  with 
a  bench  phase,  the  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  with  a  light-textured  bench 
phase,  and  the  Oasis  cla3\ 

Under  moist  field  conditions  the  surface  soils  of  the  types  included 
in  the  Gordon  series  are  dark  brownish  gray  or  dark  gray ;  the  dry 
surfaces  and  drj'  sample  have  a  somewhat  lighter  gray  color.  Within 
the  areas  the  color  is  uniform,  but  toward  their  margins,  where  the 
soils  grade  into  types  of  the  Woodrow  or  Oasis  series,  it  shades  to- 
ward light  brown  or  grayish  brown.  The  subsoil  is  similar  to  that 
of  the  Oasis  subsoil  in  color,  texture,  and  structure.  Considerable 
areas  of  the  Gordon  soils  carry  rather  large  amounts  of  alkali.  In 
some  places  this'  series  has  a  gently  rolling  topography,  but  generally 
the  surface  is  smooth  and  in  places  so  level  as  to  suggest  the  location 
of  former  lakes  or  ponds.  The  Gordon  clay  and  a  slick  phase  and 
friable  phase  of  the  type  are  mapped  in  the  present  area. 

The  Abbott  series  includes  types  with  dark-gray  or  brownish-gray 
soils  which  appear  lighter  gray  on  bleached  field  surfaces  and  in  dry 
samples.  The  color  is  uniform,  except  in  zones  of  transition  into 
the  lighter  colored  soils  of  the  Woodrow  or  the  Oasis  series.  In 
color,  texture,  and  structure  the  surface  soils  of  the  Abbott  series  are 
very  similar  to  those  of  the  Gordon  series,  but  there  is  a  marked  dif- 
ference in  the  subsoils.  The  subsoil  of  the  Abbott  is  prevailingly 
light  brownish  gray  to  gray,  mottled  here  and  there,  heavy  in 
texture,  and  compact  in  structure.  Some  of  the  types  contain  alkali. 
One  type,  the  Abbott  clay,  with  a  silty  phase,  has  been  mapped  in 
this  area. 


14 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1&19. 


The  types  of  the  Lynndyl  series  have  light-brown  surface  soils  and 
a  subsoil  either  similar  in  color  to  the  soil  or  showing  various  shades 
of  brown.  Except  in  very  small  areas,  both  the  surface  soil  and 
subsoil  contain  appreciable  quantities  of  fine  waterworn  gravel,  and 
in  many  places  the  gravel  is  so  abundant  as  to  form  the  bulk  of  the 
subsoil  material.  The  deeper  substratum,  where  exposed  along  the 
Sevier  Eiver,  exhibits  strata  of  compact  fine  sands,  gravels,  and,  in 
a  few  places,  other  materials.  Both  the  surface  soil  and  subsoil  are 
highly  calcareous,  and  in  places  there  is  a  slightly  cemented  struc- 
ture a  few  inches  below  the  surface.  The  topography  is  gently  roll- 
ing, and  the  drainage  is  excessive.  The  soil  is  free  from  alkali. 
Only  one  type  of  the  Lynndyl  series,  the  gravelly  sandy  loam,  is 
found  in  the  Delta  area. 

The  types  included  in  the  Lahontan  series  have  light  grayish 
brown  to  light  brownish  gray  surface  soils,  and  compact  stratified 
grayish  clay,  subsoils.  Commonly  there  is  a  thin  layer  of  black  fine 
sandy  loam  just  above  the  clay.  The  Lahontan  series  is  derived 
from  the  old  lake  sediments.  In  the  present  area  material  of  this 
kind  is  exposed  in  only  two  localities,  but  the  deposits  undoubtedly 
underlie  all  the  soils,  and  appear  at  or  near  the  surface  in  consider- 
able bodies  a  short  distance  east  of  the  area.  The  natural  drainage 
is  deficient,  the  soils  are  highly  charged  with  alkali,  and  in  one  body 
a  badly  water-logged  condition  has  developed  through  seepage  from 
an  adjacent  canal.  Only  one  type,  the  Lahontan  clay  loam,  is 
mapped  in  the  Delta  area. 

Dunesand  and  Rough  stony  land  include  miscellaneous  materials. 
The  Dunesand  is  largely  nonagricultural,  and  the  Rough  stony  land 
is  entirely  so. 

The  soil  types  of  the  Delta  area  are  described  in  detail  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages  of  this  report,  and  their  distribution  is  shown  on  the 
accompanying  soil  map.  The  table  below  shows  the  actual  and  rel- 
ative extent  of  the  types  in  the  area. 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil. 


Oasisclay 

Gordon  clay 

Friable  phase 

Slick  phase 

Oasis  silty  clay  loam 

Light-textured  bench  phase. 
Oasis  fine  sandy  loam 

Bench  phase 

Abbott  clay 

Silty  phase 


28,480 

12,992 

1,856 

384 

14,400 

448 

13,440 

128 

8,960 

3,136 


Per 
cent. 


24.7 
13.2 

12.9 


In. 


10.5 


Soil. 


Cache  silty  clay  loam 

Woodrow  clay  loam 

Woodrow  clay 

Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam 

Cache  loam 

Lahontan  clay  loam 

Dunesand 

Rough  stony  land 

Total 


11,392 
9,024 
5,376 
1,856 
1,408 
1,344 
512 
64 


115,200 


Per 

cent. 


9.9 
7.8 
4.7 
1.6 
1.2 
1.2 
.4 
.1 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AEEA,   UTAH. 


15 


CACHE   LOAM. 


The  Cache  loam  consists  of  a  light  brownish  gray  to  light  grayish 
brown  loam,  10  to  24  inches  deep,  resting  on  a  subsoil  composed  of 
strata  of  light  grayish  brown  to  dull  grayish  brown  clay  loam  and 
clay,  usually  silty  in  texture,  extending  to  a  depth  of  6  feet  or  more. 
The  color  of  the  surface  soil  is  rendered  darker  than  normal  in  places 
by  the  presence  of  seepage  water  and  excessive  amounts  of  alkali. 
Dry  surface  and  subsoil  samples  have  a  lighter  color,  in  which  gray 
predominates.  Where  the  type  merges  into  types  of  the  Gordon 
or  Abbott  series  the  color  shades  to  a  dark  gray.  The  surface  soil  is 
usually  porous,  the  particles  being  well  flocculated,  but  in  many  places 
where  there  is  considerable  alkali  or  excessive  moisture  it  is  very 
compact  and  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from  the  heavier  types  of 
the  series.  The  subsoil  is  generally  heavy  and  compact,  but  contains 
occasional  thin  strata  of  light-brown  fine  sandy  loam.  Gray  and 
brown  mottling  is  not  uncommon  in  the  subsoil. 

The  type  is  confined  to  a  few  small  bodies  in  the  extreme  southern 
and  western  parts  of  the  area.  The  topography  is  smooth,  except  in 
one  area  northwest  of  Abraham,  where  it  is  rolling  and  hummocky. 
The  drainage  is  somewhat  deficient,  owing  to  the  compact  structure 
of  the  subsoil,  and  some  areas  have  a  high  water  table  and  excessive 
amounts  of  alkali. 

Nearly  all  the  Cache  loam  is  under  cultivation.  The  principal 
crops  are  alfalfa,  grain,  and  sugar  beets.  Alfalfa  probably  occupies 
over  50  per  cent  of  the  total  area  of  the  type.  Tliis  soil  is  easily  tilled 
and  is  retentive  of  moisture.  Where  the  water-logged  and  alkali 
areas  are  reclaimed,  even  this  land  can  be  utilized  for  crop  produc- 
tion. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  type : 


Mechanical  analyses  of  Cache  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

520725 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.0 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.0 

Percent. 

0.3 

.0 

Percent. 
8.3 

1.2 

Percent. 
34.6 
20.6 

Per  Cfnt. 
39.2 
58.7 

Percent. 
17.7 

520726 

Subsoil 

19.6 

CA.CHE   SILTY  CLAY   LOAM. 


The  Cache  silty  clay  loam  is  a  light  grayish  brown  sticky  silty 
clay  loam,  8  to  30  inches  deep,  underlain  by  a  subsoil  of  compact, 
grayish-brown,  stratified  clay  loam  and  clay.  In  dry  samples  the 
color  is  lighter  and  the  gray  color  predominates.     The  surface  soil 


16  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF  THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

grades  imperceptibly  into  «:rrayish-browii  and  dark-j^-ay  variations 
where  the  type  merges  into  associated  types  of  the  Gordon  or  the 
Abbott  series.  A  very  light  reddish  brown  or  pinkish  tint  is  de- 
veloped in  places,  but  is  less  pronounced  than  in  some  of  the  other 
types.  In  the  virgin  areas  the  surface  soil  is  somewhat  compact  and 
has  a  grayish  color,  but  the  surface  material  in  the  larger  areas  has  a 
rather  puffy,  flocculent  structure,  which  is  most  strongly  developed 
around  the  desert  shrubs.  The  subsoil  is  prevailingly  heavy  and  com- 
pact, but  locally  the  texture  of  the  surface  soil  continues  downward 
to  a  depth  of  several  feet,  and  in  places  the  subsoil  contains  seams 
and  thin  layers  of  fine  sand  and  fine  sandy  loam.  The  color  of  the 
subsoil  is  also  varied  by  grayish-brown  and  reddish-brown  mottlings, 
and  by  thin  strata  that  are  dark  brown,  black,  or  red. 

The  largest  development  of  this  type  is  a  nearly  continuous  body 
extending  in  a  general  southeastern  direction  from  the  town  of 
Delta  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  area  and  southwesterly  from 
that  place  along  the  railroad  for  a  distance  of  about  3  miles.  Sev- 
eral areas,  esuch  having  an  extent  of  several  hundred  acres,  are 
developed  in  the  vicinity  of  Sutherland  and  east  of  Woodrow,  and 
smaller  areas  occur  throughout  the  survey. 

Because  of  the  heavy  subsoil  drainage  is  generally  deficient,  though 
the  conditions  vary  widely  in  the  different  areas.  The  greater  part 
of  those  bordering  upon  the  Gunnison  Bend  Reservoir  and  the  Sevier 
River  has  been  but  little  affected  by  water-logging  from  irrigation. 
In  a  number  of  other  localities,  where  some  of  the  larger  canals  pass 
through  or  near  bodies  of  the  type,  as  east  of  Delta  and  Sutherland, 
seepage  waters  have  ruined  a  considerable  acreage  of  land.  Along 
Tenmile  HoUoW  Creek,  and  farther  south  near  the  boundary  of  the 
area,  unfavorable  moisture  conditions  and  excessive  accumulations 
of  alkali  seem  always  to  have  existed.  The  large  area  of  tliis  type 
that  extends  southwest  from  the  town  of  Delta  carries  but  little  alkali, 
and  parts  of  it  may  be  considered  as  free  from  alkali.  Throughout 
most  of  the  other  areas,  however,  alkali  is  either  present  in  quantities 
that  inhibit  crop  growth  or  approximate  the  limit  of  tolerance  for 
cultivated  crops. 

A  large  part  of  this  type  is  under  cultivation  at  the  present  time, 
but  some  of  this  would  probably  be  abandoned  soon  were  it  not  for 
the  protective  drainage  measures  now  being  carried  out.  Some  areas 
of  soil  are  still  in  a  virgin  state  because  of  unfavorable  alkali  con- 
ditions, and  a  large  acreage  of  this  type  that  was  once  under  culti- 
vation has  been  abandoned;  in  some  cases  the  true  alkali  conditions 
were  not  realized  at  the  time  of  development,  in  other  cases  the 
soil  has,  to  use  a  local  expression,  "gone  bad"  tlirough  the  effects 
of  accumulation  of  alkali  salts  caused  by  seepage  and  the  use  of 
excessive  quantities  of  irrigation  water. 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture,  1919. 


Plate  I. 


Fig.  I. — Exposed  Section  in  Bank  of  Sevier  River  at  Spillway  of  Gunni- 
son Bend  Reservoir. 

Showins  slralifietl  scdinienls  of  the  desert  door  from  whith  mnst  of  the  soils  of  the  Delta  Area  are 

derived. 


Fig.  2. — Alfalfa  on  Oasis  Clay. 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils.  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.  1919. 


Plate  1 1 


p,Q    1 — Growth  of  Greasewood  on  Oasis  Clay. 


Fig.  2.— Area  of  Gordon  Clay,  Slick  Phase. 

Nole  barren  and  cracked  surface. 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.  1919. 


Plate  III. 


Fig.  I. — Old  Drainage  Canal  in  Low,  Water-Logged  Part  of  the 

Area. 

This  canal  was  ini'lTec-live,  owintc  to  iiisuttitiein  depth. 


S     I066S. 

Fig.  2. — Recently  Excavated  Drainage  Ditch  Made  With  Dredger. 

An  example  of  recent  drainage  const  nui  ion,  in  which  the  canals  are  wider  and  of  greater  depth 

and  etTectiveness. 


SOIL.  SURVEY  OF   DELTA  AREA,    UTAH. 


17 


The  Cache  silty  clay  loam,  particularly  in  its  heavier  variations, 
IS  rather  difficult  to  handle,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  bake  and  crack 
and  form  crusts  on  the  surface  after  rains  or  irrigation.  It  is 
frequently  necessary  to  use  an  early  irrigation  to  help  the  young 
plants  to  break  through  the  crust.  A  more  liberal  incorporation  of 
organic  matter  would  greatly  reduce  the  cracking  and  crusting  ten- 
dency of  this  soil,  and  make  plowing  and  cultivation  easier.  Sugar 
beets  and  alfalfa  are  the  principal  crops  grown.  Several  areas,  par- 
ticularly in  the  southern  part  of  the  survey,  lie  too  low  to  be  bene- 
fited by  the  proposed  drainage  systems;  the  rest  of  the  type  can  be 
reclaimed. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Cache  silty  clay  loam : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Cache  silty  clay  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 

saud. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

520715 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.1 

Percent. 
1.4 
.6 

Percent. 

0.6 

.4 

Percent. 

8.8 
2.2 

Percent. 
4.3 
2.4 

Percent. 
58.0 
48. 6 

Percent. 
27  2 

520716 

Subsoil 

45  5 

WOODROW  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Woodrow  clay  loam  consists  of  a  light  gray- 
ish brown  to  grayish-brown  heavy  sticky  clay  loam  12  to  24  inches 
deep.  In  dry  samples  the  gray  color  predominates.  The  subsoil  is 
a  light  gra3'ish  brown  to  gray  and  rarely  a  yellowish-brown  clay. 
Pronounced  gray  to  dark-gray  variations  in  the  color  of  the  surface 
soil  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  types  of  either  the  Gordon  or  Abbott 
series.  Material  of  reddish-brown  color  is  found  in  a  small  area 
about  2^  miles  north  of  Hinckley,  and  a  pinkish  tinge  occurs  in  several 
of  the  bodies  south  of  Delta.  In  a  number  of  places  thin  layers  of 
dark-brown  to  black,  or  nearly  red,  heavy-textured  material  are  pres- 
ent in  the  lower  part  of  the  surface  soil  and  in  the  subsoil.  In  virgin 
areas  the  surface  soil  commonly  consists  of  a  very  thin  crust,  which 
cracks  upon  drying,  underlain  by  a  loose,  flocculent  layer,  2  to  4  inches 
deep,  and  this  in  turn  by  the  sticky  clay  loam.  This  condition  is  par- 
ticularly well  developed  in  the  southern  part  of  T.  17  S.,  R.  8  W.  This 
structure  is  destroyed  by  cultivation,  and  the  surfaces  of  recently 
abandoned  fields  show  a  tendency  toward  an  adobe  structure.  Locally 
the  surface  soil  extends  without  distinctive  subsoil  to  a  depth  of  6  feet 
or  more.  The  normal  clay  texture  of  the  subsoil  in  places,  particu- 
larly adjacent  to  members  of  the  Oasis  and  Gordon  series,  is  inter- 
rupted by  thin  strata  of  light-brown  or  light  yellowish  brown  fine 
sand  or  fine  sandy  loam.  Mottlings  of  grayish  color  and  leddish- 
96177°— 22 3 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

brown  stains  are  not  iincommon  in  the  subsoil.  Hardpan  does  not 
occur,  but  the  subsoil  is  very  compact  in  places  and  obstructs  the 
free  moveir.ent  of  the  soil  moisture.  Some  small  areas  in  which  the 
surface  soil  is  heavier  than  typical,  being  a  light  clay  in  texture,  are 
included  with  this  type. 

The  Woodrow  clay  loam  is  rather  extensively  developed  immedi- 
ately east  of  Oasis,  and  there  are  some  fair-sized  bodies  in  the  more 
southern  parts  of  the  area.  In  the  central  and  nothem  parts  the  areas 
are  smaller  and  fewer  in  number. 

The  surface  of  the  Woodrow  clay  loam  is  very  smooth  in  the  body 
east  of  Oasis  and  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  area,  except  west  of 
Hinckley,  where  it  is  nearly  everywhere  gently  rolling  and  in  places 
so  broken  that  the  land  is  hardly  adapted  for  irrigation. 

The  drainage  of  the  type  is  restricted.  In  the  southern  bodies  the 
soil  is  permanently  too  wet  for  cultivation,  and  because  of  its  low 
position  it  can  not  be  profitably  reclaimed.  Many  of  the  more  elevated 
bodies  to  the  north  are  wet,  either  because  of  seepage  or  the  careless 
use  of  irrigation  water.  These  bodies  can  be  reclaimed  by  drainage 
and  again  made  profitable  farming  land.  The  larger  part  of  the  t^pe 
east  of  Oasis  contains  too  much  alkali  for  the  production  of  crops,  and 
a  similar  condition  exists  in  the  southern  bodies  and  in  those  west  of 
Hinckle3^  ^orth  of  Hinckley  the  alkali  content  of  the  soil  varies  con- 
siderably in  the  different  bodies.  Only  a  small  part  of  the  type  west 
of  Sugarville  can  be  considered  as  free  from  alkali. 

All  this  soil  in  the  vicinity  of  Oasis  was  at  one  time  under  cultiva- 
tion, but  it  has  largely  been  abandoned  because  of  alkali.  Similar  con- 
ditions exist  in  many  of  the  bodies  north  and  east  of  Oasis  and  Deseret. 
In  the  southern  townships  of  the  area  the  larger  part  of  the  type  has 
never  been  under  cultivation,  and  the  rather  uneven  surface  west  of 
Hinckley  has  retarded  the  development  of  land  in  that  district.  The 
soil  puddles  readily  when  irrigated,  and  bakes  into  hard  clods  upon 
drying.  Tillage  is  difficult  at  all  times,  and  there  is  but  a  short  period 
when  the  soil  is  in  a  favorable  working  condition.  The  liberal  use  of 
manure  or  other  forms  of  organic  matter  would  greatly  reduce  the 
tendency  of  the  soil  to  bake  and  crack,  and  render  crop  production 
more  certain. 

WOODKOW    CLAY. 

The  Woodrow  clay  consists  of  6  feet  or  more  of  a  gi-ayish-brown 
to  brownish-gray  clay,  the  gray  being  more  pronounced  in  the  dry 
sample.  Considerable  areas  of  the  clay  types  of  both  the  Gordon 
and  Abbott  series  have  a  similar  color,  and  considerable  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  placing  the  boundaries  separating  these  types.  Below 
the  surface  the  material  is  normally  brow^ner  than  the  surface  ma- 
terial, and  commonly  marked  with  grayish  or  reddish-brown  mot- 
tlings,  and  cut  by  occasional  thin  strata  of  material  ranging  in  color 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA   AREA,    UTAH. 


19 


from  yellowish  and  grayish  brown  to  reddish  brown.  The  surface 
soil  in  places  assumes  the  puffy,  flocculent  condition  that  is  developed 
throughout  much  of  the  clay  loam  of  the  series.  In  other  places, 
particularly  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  area,  and  to  a  less  ex- 
tent in  the  body  south  of  Abraham,  the  surface  soil  often  cracks  and 
bakes  into  small  clods  in  a  manner  that  is  strongly  suggestive  of  the 
adobe  soils.  The  subsoil  is  not  cemented,  but  is  in  places  so  compact 
as  greatly  to  retard  the  movement  of  water.  The  normal  clay  sub- 
soil is  occasionally  interrupted  by  thin  strata  of  lighter  textured 
materials,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  members  of  the  Oasis  and 
Gordon  series. 

The  Woodrow  clay  occurs  only  in  the  southern  half  of  the  area, 
principally  west  of  Deseret  and  along  the  southern  boundary.  One 
area  of  this  type  in  the  southern  part  of  T.  17  S.,  R.  8  W.,  has  a 
rolling  and  hummocky  topography,  but  most  of  the  areas  have  a 
smooth,  flat  surface. 

Drainage  is  deficient.  Along  the  southern  boundary  east  of  the 
main  line  of  the  railroad  some  areas  occupy  low  flats,  are  constantly 
wet,  and  can  not  be  reclaimed.  Some  of  the  more  northerly  areas 
are  unfavorably  moist  and  in  their  natural  condition  can  not  be 
cultivated,  but  all  these  will  be  reclaimable  after  completion  of 
drainage  systems  now  being  installed.  Very  little  of  the  type  is  free 
from  dangerous  amounts  of  alkali.  Except  in  the  southern  bodies 
of  low  elevation,  the  greater  part  of  the  alkali  salts  lies  at  some 
distance  below  the  surface,  and  in  the  native  state  the  alkali  condi- 
tions are  not  always  apparent.  As  a  result  many  tracts  have  been 
cultivated  for  a  short  period,  and  finally  abandoned.  These  are  now 
returning  to  their  original  condition,  and  the  amount  of  alkali 
present  can  be  determined  only  by  a  series  of  tests  covering  the 
entire^  soil  profile. 

This  t3^pe  is  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  the  production  of  alfalfa. 
The  soil  is  difficult  to  handle  at  all  times,  and  owing  to  the  marked 
tendency  of  the  surface  soil  to  form  a  hard  crust  after  irrigation, 
considerable  difficulty  is  often  experienced  in  obtaining  a  satisfac- 
tory stand  of  young  plants.  The  thorough  incorporation  of  organic 
matter  would  tend  to  correct  this  condition  to  a  considerable  degree. 

The  folloAving  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type : 


Mechanical 

analj/.<ies 

of  Woodrow  clay. 

Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

S^Ovii        

Soil  

Percent. 
0.1 

.0 

Per  cent. 

0.6 

.0 

Percent. 

0.4 

.1 

Per  cent. 

2.4 
1.6 

Per  cent. 
3.1 

7.1 

Per  cent. 
41.7 
38.7 

Per  cent. 
51.7 

520712 

Subsoil 

52.7 

20  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1919. 

OASIS    FINE    SANDY    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Oasis  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  light  grayish 
brown  or  light  brownish  gray  very  friable  fine  sandy  loam,  about 
12  inches  deep.  The  brown  color  is  accentuated  under  moist  field 
conditions.  Material  of  this  texture  may  extend  to  a  depth  of  6 
feet  or  more,  but  generally  the  subsoil,  which  is  very  irregular  in 
texture,  ranges  from  fine  sand  to  silty  clay.  The  lighter  textured 
materials  predominate;  the  heavier  materials  are  confined  for  the 
most  part,  to  thin  strata  occurring  at  varying  depths.  West  of  the 
main  line  of  the  railroad  the  surface  soil  is  more  sandy  than  east 
of  it,  and  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  area  the  soil  contains  consider- 
able silt  and  clay,  the  line  of  sej^aration  between  this  type  and  ad- 
jacent bodies  of  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  being  in  places  rather  in- 
definite. In  some  of  the  larger  areas  of  the  type,  particularly  in 
the  vicinity  of  areas  of  Dunesand,  the  surface  is  marked  in  places 
by  deposits  of  wind-blown  sand  and  fine  sand. 

The  Oasis  fine  sandy  loam  occurs  throughout  the  area  in  bodies 
of  varying  size,  from  those  too  small  to  be  shown  upon  the  map 
(which  are  included  with  other  types),  to  those  several  thousand 
acres  in  extent.  The  most  extensive  development  of  the  type  is 
south  and  west  of  Deseret. 

\V  est  of  Deseret  the  surface  of  the  type  is  smooth,  except  where 
broken  by  occasional  shallow  drainage  courses.  South  of  Deseret 
tlie  surface  is  moderately  rolling,  and  consists  in  part  of  a  rather 
well  developed  ridge  following  the  meanders  of  an  abandoned  river 
channel.  In  the  northern  and  central  parts  of  the  area  the  surface 
is  marked  in  places  by  slight  elevations,  and  a  few  of  the  areas  are 
genth'  rolling,  but  none  are  so  uneven  that  they  may  not  be  brought 
under  cultivation. 

The  drainage  of  the  type  is  adequate  under  natural  condition^,  but 
is  not  in  all  places  sufficient  to  remove  seepage  and  waste  irrigation 
water.  Wet  conditions,  accompanied  by  an  excess  of  alkali,  are  most 
conmion  in  the  area  at  Hinckley  and  in  a  smaller  area  in  section  9 
west  of  Woodrow.  In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  survey  the  water 
table  is  relatively  near  the  surface,  but  alkali  has  not  accumulated  in 
excessive  quantities  in  all  the  areas.  Under  natural  conditions  the 
larger  part  of  the  type  apparently  did  not  carry  alkali  in  injurious 
amounts,  and  the  presence  of  these  salts  in  dangerous  amounts  in 
certain  areas  is  due  almost  wholly  to  an  excess  of  subsurface  moist- 
ure. With  the  exception  of  the  areas  in  the  southwestern  corner  of 
the  survey,  where  the  land  is  probably  too  low  to  be  drained,  all  of 
this  type  can  be  reclaimed. 

Alfalfa  occupies  the  largest  acreage  on  this  type,  with  sugar  beets 
ranking  second  and  grain  third  in  extent  of  plantings.     The  soil  is 


SOIL  SUR\'EY   OF   DELTA  AREA,   UTAH, 


21 


easily  handled  at  all  times,  but  requires  somewhat  more  water  for 
irrigation  than  the  heavier  soils. 

Oasis  fine  sandy  loam^  bench  phase.— The  bench  phase  of  the  Oasis 
fine  sandy  loam  is  a  rather  coarse  textured  light  grayish  brown  fine 
sandy  loam  containing  small  quantities  of  fine  waterworn  gravel, 
underlain  at  about  16  inches  Ijy  sandy  loam  or  sand.  These  subsoil 
materials  may  extend  to  a  depth  of  6  feet  or  more,  but  around  the 
margins  of  the  areas  a  compact  grayish  clay,  similar  to  the  subsoil 
of  the  Lahontan  clay  loam,  is  encountered  in  the  lower  part  of  the  soil 
section.  This  phase  is  developed  in  one  small  body  along  the  east- 
em  boundary  of  the  area,  about  5  miles  southeast  of  Delta.  It  occu- 
pies a  gentle  slope  leading  from  the  floor  of  the  desert  to  a  higher 
terrace  just  east  of  the  area.  The  typical  soil  material  of  this  phase 
has  been  derived  from  alluvial  deposits  of  the  Sevier  River,  brought 
apparently  from  the  adjacent  mesa.  The  soil  is  well  drained  and 
free  from  alkali.     Practically  the  entire  area  is  planted  to  alfalfa. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  typical  Oasis  fine  sandy  loam : 


Mechanical  analyses  of  Oasis  fine  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

520701 

Sou 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

0 

Percent. 

0.0 

.0 

Per  cent. 
1.1 

5  6 

Percent. 
37.5 

57  7 

Percent. 
37.1 
25.0 

Per  cent. 
16.8 
8.1 

Per  cent. 
7  7 

520702. 

Subsoil  .. 

3  7 

OASIS   SILTY  CLAY  LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  consists  of  10  to  30 
inches  of  light  grayish  brown  silty  clay  loam  which,  in  the  areas  of 
lighter  texture,  is  porous  and  friable.  The  subsoil  consists  mainly 
of  stratified  fine  sand  and  fine  sandy  loam,  with  included  thin  strata 
of  light-brown  silt  loam  or  clay  loam  occurring  at  varying  depths. 
The  color  of  the  surface  soil  in  places  has  a  pinkish  tint,  and  below 
3  or  4  inches,  is  modified  locally  by  layers  of  a  decided  reddish  brown 
color,  and  here  and  there  by  materials  ranging  in  color  from  dark 
brown  to  black.  The  depth  of  these  strata  varies  considerably 
within  short  distances,  with  the  result  that  the  surfaces  of  newly 
broken  fields  present  a  mosiac  of  shades  of  brown,  red,  and  black. 
With  continued  cultivation  these  colors  eventually  blend  into  a  uni- 
form tint  that  varies  from  the  normal  color  of  the  type  accortling 
to  the  proportion  of  more  strongly  colored  materials  included.  In 
color  this  tyf)e  grades  imperceptibly  into  the  soils  of  the  Gordon  and 
the  Abbott  series. 


22  FIELD    OPEEATIOJS'S    OF    THE    BUREAU    OF    SOILS,    I'Jll). 

The  lighter  textured  variations  of  the  type  resemble  closely  the 
fine  sandy  loam  of  the  series,  and  identification  is  in  many  places 
made  difficult  by  the  presence  of  small  deposits  of  wind-blown  fine 
sand  that  have  found  lodgment  around  the  desert  shrubs. 

The  most  extensive  development  of  the  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  is  in 
the  central  part  of  the  surv'ey,  where  a  continuous  area  extends  from 
a  point  about  2  miles  north  of  Hinckley  eastward  to  the  Gunnison 
Bend  Reservoir  and  then  southward  to  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
survey.  In  the  western  part,  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham,  there  are 
four  or  five  areas,  with  a  total  extent  of  several  hundred  acres. 
Other  bodies  of  considerable  size  are  developed  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  area,  south  of  Delta. 

West  of  Abraham,  and  in  T.  17  S.,  west  of  Hinckley,  the  surface 
of  several  areas  is  moderately  rolling,  and  a  very  gently  rolling 
topography  is  developed  in  a  number  of  places  south  of  Oasis. 
Excepting  these,  the  surface  of  the  type  is  smooth  and  level.  Both 
the  soil  and  subsoil  are  porous  and  allow  free  movement  of  moisture, 
but  several  areas  are  wet  from  an  excess  of  seepage  and  irrigation 
water.  With  the  exception  of  its  extreme  southern  extension,  the 
large  body  in  the  central  part  of  the  area  is  well  drained,  partly 
because  of  its  proximity  to  the  reservoir  and  the  depressed  channel 
of  the  Sevier  River,  and  partly  because  in  several  places  it  is  slightly 
elevated  above  the  adjacent  soils.  The  extreme  southern  end  of  this 
body  is  considerably  lower  than  the  bordering  soils,  and  the  surface 
is  but  little  above  the  general  level  of  the  underground  water.  Some 
of  the  type  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham  is  suffering  severely  from 
seepage,  and  a  similar  condition  has  developed  in  some  of  the  areas 
in  the  northern  part  of  T.  16  S.  In  the  vicinity  of  Abraham 
the  larger  part  of  this  type  in  its  present  condition  is  worthless  for 
cultivation,  the  content  of  alkali  commonly  averaging  more  than  1 
per  cent,  with  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  salts  in  the  surface 
soil.  A  part  of  the  body  in  section  23,  nortR  of  Abraham,  is  also 
practically  worthless,  and  the  smaller  body  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township  is  in  nearly  as  bad  condition.  Southeast  of  Delta 
the  soil  is  only  locally  affected  by  alkali  accumulation. 

Considerable  areas  of  the  type  have  been  abandoned,  but  where 
the  soil  is  under  cultivation  alfalfa  occupies  by  far  the  largest 
acreage.  In  the  heavier  textured  bodies  of  the  type  the  surface  soil 
has  a  tendency  to  form  crusts  and  to  crack  upon  drj^ng,  but  the 
normal  friable  structure  can  usually  be  maintained  with  but  little 
trouble.  With  the  exception  of  the  bodies  along  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  area,  in  which  the  surface  is  generally  too  low  for  efficient 
drainage,  all  of  the  water-logged  areas  can  be  reclaimed  when  the 
drainage  systems  now  under  construction  are  completed. 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,   UTAH. 


23 


Oasis  s'dty  clay  loam...,  light-textured  hench  phase. — The  light- 
tcxtiired  bench  phase  of  the  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  consists  of  a  very 
light  grayish  brown  to  light  brownish  gray  friable  silt  loam  that 
extends  to  depths  varying  from  18  inches  to  6  feet  or  more.  Where 
this  material  is  less  than  6  feet  in  depth  the  subsoil  is  a  light  grayish 
brown  Aery  fine  sandy  loam  carrying  a  considerable  pro|)ortion  of 
silt.  The  surface  material  is  well  flocculated,  giving  much  of  this 
phase  the  appearance  of  a  rather  silty  fine  sandy  loam. 

This  phase  is  developed  in  one  body  along  the  boundary  of  the 
area  due  east  of  Delta,  and  occurs  on  a  gentle  slope  intermediate  in 
elevation  between  the  Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam  on  the  Lynn 
Bench  and  the  lower  soils  on  the  floor  of  the  desert.  The  drainage 
is  excellent  and  the  soil  is  free  from  alkali. 

None  of  this  phase  has  been  brought  under  cultivation.  Tt  will 
probably  be  found  best  adapted  to  alfalfa  when  irrigation  water  be- 
comes available. 

The  table  below  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  typical  Oasis  silty  clay  loam  and  of  its 
light -textured  bench  ]:)hase : 


Mechanical  analyses  of  Oasis  silty  clay  loam. 


Number.          Description.     ^^.l\ 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

Typical  soil: 
520705    

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.1 

.0 

.0 
.0 

Per  cent. 

0.1 

.0 

.1 
.1 

Percent. 

0.0 

.1 

.0 
.1 

Per  cent. 

1.6 

32.1 

2.7 
3.9 

Percent. 
20.8 
38.4 

40.0 
33.1 

Per  cent. 
56.0 
19.6 

46.3 
48.4 

Percent. 

21.4 

9.8 

11  0 

520706 

Light-textured 
bench  phase: 
520707 

Subsoil 

Soil 

520708 

Subsoil 

14.5 

OASIS    CLAY. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Oasis  clay,  as  occurring  under  typical  field 
conditions,  is  a  light  grayish  brown  to  grayish-brown  compact  clay, 
in  places  relatively  high  in  silt,  and  from  8  to  44  inches  deep.  In 
the  dry  sample  the  color  tends  to  become  gray.  The  soil  is  under- 
lain by  a  light-textured  subsoil  composed  of  stratified  deposits  of 
fine  sand  and  fine  sandy  loam  in  which  thin  strata  of  compact  heavy- 
textured  materials  occur  to  some  extent  in  the  deeper  ])arts.  In  the 
northeastern  section  of  the  area  the  surface  soil  in  places  approxi- 
mates in  color  the  darker  gray  of  members  of  the  Gordon  and  Abbott 
series,  and  the  boundaries  of  individual  areas  are  in  many  places 
more  or  less  arbitrarily  drawn. 

The  color  of  the  surface  soil  is  modified  in  places  by  strata  of 
lighter  or  darker  colored  materials  just  below  the  surface.     The 


24  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1919. 

structure  of  the  soil  varies  considerably,  and  within  very  short  dis- 
tances. In  places  there  is  a  tendency  toward  the  formation  of  a 
smooth  compact  surface  layer,  immediately  underlain  by  a  loose 
flocculated  layer  extending  to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  inches.  This  condi- 
tion appears  to  be  most  marked  in  the  eastern  tier  of  sections  in  T. 
16  S.,  R.  7  W.,  but  none  of  the  areas  are  of  sufficient  extent  to  be 
shown  upon  the  map  as  a  phase.  Between  these  smooth  areas  the 
surface  is  commonly  from  one-half  to  1  inch  higher,  and  appears  as 
a  series  of  small  flattened  mounds  partly  separated  by  irregular 
indistinct  cracks.  Over  much  of  the  type  the  surface  soil  is  rather 
compact,  without  being  noticeably  smooth,  and  is  commonly  under- 
lain by  a  thin  somewhat  flocculated  stratum.  In  some  places  under 
natural  conditions,  the  surface  soil  has  an  adobe  structure  or  bears  a 
smooth  crust.  Over  small  areas  this  is  checked  with  wide  irregular 
cracks  a  foot  or  more  in  depth. 

The  subsoil  of  the  type  is  usually  friable  and  porous.  The  heavier 
variations  of  the  subsoil  are  commonly  brown,  while  the  lighter  tex- 
tured variations  are  either  light  brown  or  grayish  brown. 

The  Oasis  clay  is  the  most  extensively  developed  type  in  the  area. 
It  occurs  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  area  in  bodies  of  several  thousand 
acres  in  extent,  and  is  widely  distributed  in  small  bodies  throughout 
the  rest  of  the  area.  The  surface  of  the  type  is  uniformly  flat  and 
smooth. 

In  the  heavier  textured  areas  of  the  type  the  soil  is  commonly  pud- 
dled after  heavy  storms  and  holds  water  on  the  surface  for  consid- 
erable periods,  but  as  a  rule  the  drainage  is  sufficient  for  the  normal 
rainfall.  Although  the  subsoil  is  prevailingly  porous,  unfavorable 
moisture  conditions,  accompanied  by  the  accumulation  of  alkali,  have 
developed  in  a  number  of  localities  as  the  result  of  irrigation.  Such 
areas  lie  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham  and  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W.  Drainage  conditions  in  parts  of  the  type  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hinckley  are  not  favorable.  A  few  areas  of  the  type  lie 
in  poorly  drained  districts  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area,  and  are 
permanently  wet.  Because  of  their  low  elevation,  several  of  those 
areas  can  not  be  reclaimed.  The  area  in  the  northeastern  corner  of 
the  survey  lies  outside  the  present  drainage  districts,  and  could  only 
be  reclaimed  through  the  construction  of  a  separate  system.  A  large 
part  of  the  rest  of  the  type  will  be  provided  with  open-ditch  and  tile 
drains  within  a  short  time,  the  excess  moisture  permanently  removed, 
and  much  of  the  type  reclaimed.  The  soil,  however,  will  always  re- 
main a  difficult  one  to  handle. 

Wlierever  the  moisture  content  of  the  soil  is  above  normal,  exces- 
sive quantities  of  alkali  salts  are  present.  The  alkali  conditions  are 
most  aggravated  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham,  where  several  hundred 
acres,  formerly  under  cultivation,  have  been  abandoned,  and  much 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,    UTAH. 


25 


of  the  surface  is  barren  of  even  alkali-resistant  vegetation.  (PI.  II, 
Fig.  1.)  A  similar  but  somewhat  less  extreme  condition  occurs  in 
the  vicinity  of  Hincldey,  and  south  and  east  of  Delta  there  are  con- 
siderable areas  where  alkali  is  present  in  rather  dangerous  propor- 
tions. In  these  latter  areas  the  alkali  condition  has  not  in  all  cases 
been  caused  by  excess  of  moisture,  and  the  appearance  of  the  sur- 
face soil  and  the  native  vegetation  does  not  always  indicate  the 
presence  of  alkali.  In  other  parts  of  the  survey  much  of  the  type 
is  practically  free  from  alkali,  and  the  small  quantities  that  are  lo- 
cally present  are  not  sufficient  to  injure  crops,  provided  there  is  no 
marked  rise  in  the  present  level  of  the  underground  water.  A  rise 
in  the  water  table  would  increase  the  amount  of  soluble  salts  in  the 
upper  soil  and  greatly  reduce  its  value  for  cultivation. 

Large  areas  of  the  Oasis  clay  have  been  abandoned  because  of  the 
water-logging  of  the  soil  and  excessive  amounts  of  alkali.  Where 
this  type  is  under  cultivation,  alfalfa  and  sugar  beets  are  the  prin- 
cipal crops,  with  acreages  about  equal.  (PL  I,  Fig.  2.)  Grain  occu- 
pies a  small  acreage. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  Oasis  clay : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Oasis  clap. 


Nnmbor. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
.sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

520709 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.1 

.0 

Per  cent. 

0.2 

.0 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.0 

Per  cent. 
1.4 

.5 

Percent. 
13.6 
15. 7 

Per  cent. 
46.2 
61.6 

Per  cent. 

38.0 

520710 

Subsoil 

22.2 

GORDON   CLAY. 


The  Gordon  clay  is  a  dark-gray  or  dark  brownish  gray  to  nearly 
black  clay,  from  8  to  30  inches  deep,  normally  underlain  by  light- 
brown  to  light  brownish  gray  stratified  fine  sand  and  fine  sandy 
loam.  Thin  strata  of  light-brown  clay  loam  and  clay  occur  in  the 
subsoil  to  some  extent.  The  predominating  normal  structure  of  the 
wet  surface  soil  is  very  compact ;  the  diy  soil  tends  to  form  a  slightly 
roughened  and  cracked  crust,  which  is  underlain  by  a  more  or  less 
flocculent  mulch,  2  or  3  inches  thick.  This  structure  is  destroyed 
by  cultivation,  and  after  irrigation  the  soil  bakes  and  cracks  into 
large  hard  clods.  The  subsoil  is  prevailingly  light  textured,  but  in 
places  it  carries  a  rather  high  percentage  of  silt,  and  this  gives  rise 
to  noticeable  changes  in  the  apparent  texture  when  the  material  is 
wet.  Wliere  the  soil  is  not  irrigated  the  subsoil  is  very  porous  and 
well  flocculated,  but  under  the  influence  of  moisture  the  flocculent 
structure  is  at  least  partly  destroyed,  and  the  silt  content  tends  to 


26  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF  THE   BUBEAU   OF   SOILS,  1919. 

produce  a  decidedly  plastic  condition,  especially  in  the  deeper 
materials. 

The  principal  development  of  the  type  is  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  area,  from  near  Wilson,  in  T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W.,  northward  and 
westward  to  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  area,  A  number  of  other 
bodies,  several  of  which  are  of  considerable  extent,  occur  northwest 
of  Deseret.  No  areas  occur  east  of  the  Sevier  River,  The  surface 
of  the  larger  body  is  smooth,  as  is  that  of  the  one  occurring  south  of 
Abraham.  The  areas  lying  west  of  Deseret  vary  from  smooth  to 
gently  rolling,  and  small  parts  are  too  uneven  for  irrigation  without 
considerable  leveling. 

Throughout  the  type  surface  and  subsurface  drainage  are  slow, 
and  in  uncultivated  areas  much  of  the  water  remains  on  the  surface 
until  removed  by  evaporation.  The  subsoil  is  more  porous  than  the 
soil  and  alloAvs  a  fairly  free  movement  of  moisture,  but  this  is  not 
sufficient  to  give  thorough  drainage,  and  there  are  areas  of  wet  land 
in  a  number  of  localities.  This  condition,  which  is  said  to  be  in- 
creasing, is  noticeably  developed  in  a  narrow  area  extending  north- 
ward from. near  the  center  of  section  18,  T,  16  S,,  R,  7  W.  A  similar 
but  less  serious  condition  exists  in  the  areas  of  the  type  near  Deseret. 
The  isolated  area  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  survey  apparently 
lies  too  low  to  be  benefited  by  the  drains  that  are  now  being  con- 
structed, but  the  other  areas  have  sufficient  elevation  to  make  their 
drainage  practicable. 

In  the  larger  area  of  the  type  the  alkali  content  varies  from  a 
quantity  too  small  to  injure  crops  to  concentrations  inhibiting  plant 
growth.  South  of  Abraham  all  the  type  carries  some  alkali,  and  in 
two  or  three  places  crops  are  affected.  West  of  Deseret  the  larger 
part  of  the  type  contains  so  much  alkali  that  crops  can  not  be  grown, 
and  even  in  less  severely  affected  areas  the  amount  of  alkali  is  dan- 
gerously near  the  limit  of  tolerance  for  crop  growth. 

A  considerable  proportion  of  this  type  was  under  cultivation  at  one 
time  and  was  later  abandoned.  This  was  due  in  some  cases  to 
unfavorable  moisture  and  alkali  conditions,  but  in  many  cases  there 
is  no  apparent  unfavorable  soil  condition  aside  from  the  usual  diffi- 
culties attendant  upon  the  cultivation  of  a  heavy  clay  soil,  that  would 
cause  abandonment.  Sugar  beets  occupy  the  largest  proportion  of 
the  area  of  this  type  at  present  under  cultivation.  Grain  and  alfalfa 
are  the  other  more  important  crops.  The  soil  is  very  difficult  to 
maintain  in  good  tilth,  as  it  is  heavy,  compact,  and  plastic,  and  must 
be  handled  within  a  narrow  range  of  moisture  content.  Incorpora- 
tion of  organic  matter  in  liberal  quantities  would  relieve  these  con- 
ditions to  some  extent,  but  not  completely  remove  them. 

Gordon  day,  dick  pAa^e.— The  slick  phase  of  the  Gordon  clay 
differs  from  the  typical  Gordon  clay  only  in  the  structure  of  the  first 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,    UTAH, 


27 


few  inches  of  the  soil.  The  surface  is  hard  and  compact,  very  smooth, 
and  often  barren  of  vegetation.  (PL  II,  Fig.  2.)  This  material  is 
nearly  white,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  surrounding  soils,  which  are 
prevailingly  dark  gray  to  brown.  Except  for  the  scanty  growth  of 
alkali-resistant  plants,  this  phase  resembles  the  smooth,  barren  playas 
common  in  the  western  deserts.  The  surface  crust  is  usually  less 
than  an  inch  thick,  and  is  underlain  by  a  dark-gray  layer  of  loose 
material,  composed  of  very  small  granules — flocculated  soil  particles. 
This  layer  is  from  2  to  4  inches  thick,  and  is  underlain  by  compact 
clay  material  like  that  in  the  surface  soil. 

The  tendency  of  the  soils  in  this  survey  to  assume  this  barren, 
crusted  structure  is  not  confined  to  the  Gordon  clay,  but  it  is  only  in 
this  type  that  it  occurs  in  areas  of  sufficient  size  to  be  separated. 
Only  two  bodies  of  this  phase  are  shown  on  the  map.  Both  are  in  the 
western  part  of  T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W. 

Gordon  clay.,  friable  phase. — The  surface  soil  of  the  Gordon  clay, 
friable  phase,  consists  of  a  dark-gray  to  black  clay  from  10  to  26 
inches  deep  and  somewhat  more  friable  than  the  typical  soil.  The 
subsoil  consists  of  stratified  materials,  principally  light  grayish 
brown  fine  sand  and  fine  sandy  loam.  Heavy,  compact  subsoil  strata 
are  rare. 

This  phase  is  developed  only  in  T.  16  S.,  Rs.  7  and  8  W.,  with  the 
larger  number  of  the  bodies  in  R.  7  W.  The  surface  of  the  phase 
is  smooth. 

The  areas  are  level  and  surface  drainage  is  somewhat  deficient. 
The  subdrainage  is  complete.  In  the  two  bodies  of  the  phase  in 
R.  8  W.  the  content  of  alkali  is  high,  and  cultivation  over  the  greater 
part  of  these  has  been  abandoned.  In  R.  7  W.  the  phase  everywhere 
carries  small  amounts  of  alkali,  but  areas  in  which  dangerous  amounts 
occur  are  of  small  extent.  All  this  soil  lies  within  the  area  to  be 
traversed  by  drains,  and  conditions  should  show  a  marked  improve- 
ment after  these  have  been  completed.  Sugar  beets  are  the  principal 
crop  on  this  phase. 

The  table  below  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  typical  Gordon  clay : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Gordon  clay. 


Number. 

Description . 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium       Fine 
sand.         sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

520713           

SoU 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.0 

Percent. 
0.2 

.0 

Percent. 

0.2 

.0 

Per  cent. 
5.7 
42.3 

Per  cent. 
17.3 
37.2 

Per  cent. 
42.0 
15.8 

Percent. 
34.8 

520714       

Subsoil 

4.7 

28  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF  THE  BUREAU   OP   SOILS,   1919. 


ABBOTT   CLAY. 


The  Abbott  clay  consists  of  a  dark-gray  compact  clay  surface  soil, 
8  to  38  inches  deep,  with  minor  dark-brown  inclusions,  underlain 
by  a  stratified  subsoil  of  grayish-brown  or  gi'ay  clay  of  very  com- 
pact structure.  Thin  strata  of  lighter  textured  materials  occur  lo- 
cally in  the  subsoil,  but  are  not  of  sufficient  extent  to  materially  affect 
the  physical  character  of  the  subsoil.  In  the  bodies  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  the  area  the  soil  is  black  when  wet  and  almost 
black  when  dry,  but  in  the  more  southerly  bodies  near  Deseret  the 
type  is  lighter  in  color. 

In  places  the  surface  soil  shows  a  tendency  toward  the  develop- 
ment of  slick  spots,  like  those  mapped  as  the  slick  phase  of  the  Gor- 
don clay,  but  these  spots  are  too  small  to  be  shown  on  the  map. 
T^^ere  the  virgin  structure  of  the  type  has  not  been  disturbed,  there 
is  a  slightly  roughened  and  finely  cracked  surface  crust  and  an 
underlying  layer  of  highly  flocculated  clay.  In  areas  under  cultiva- 
tion there  often  forms  after  irrigation  a  deep,  hard  crust  that  is 
difficult  to  handle,  and  in  recently  abandoned  areas  the  surface  mate- 
rial shows  a  tendency  to  assume  an  adobe  structure.  The  usual  dull 
grayish  brown  color  of  the  subsoil  is  interrupted  in  places  by  thin 
strata  of  reddish-brown  or  darker  colored  materials,  and  by  grayish 
or  reddish-brown  mottlings. 

Several  bodies  of  the  type  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Sugarville  and 
eastward,  one  lies  near  Gordon  and  Wilson,  and  a  somewhat  larger 
development  extends  westward  from  Erwin.  The  type  also  occurs 
north  and  northeast  of  Abraham  and  south  of  that  place  in  the  south- 
western corner  of  T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W.,  and  along  the  western  boundary 
of  the  area  southwest  of  Hinckley.  South  of  Abraham  the  type 
has  a  moderately  rolling  topography,  with  several  places  too  uneven 
for  irrigation,  and  near  Erwin  a  slight  ridge  gives  a  gently  rolling 
topography  to  a  small  area,  but  throughout  the  rest  of  the  survey 
the  surface  is  uniformly  level  and  smooth. 

Up  to  the  present  time  little  of  the  type  has  been  injured  by  the 
accumulation  of  ground  water  as  a  result  of  irrigation,  but  it  is 
closely  associated  in  places  with  soils  that  have  become  water-logged 
and  will  doubtless  suifer  the  same  impairment  in  a  short  time  if 
drainage  work  is  not  done  soon.  Both  surface  and  subsurface  drain- 
age are  restricted.  There  are  indications  of  a  rise  in  the  level  of 
the  underground  water  in  the  area  of  this  type  near  Sugarville,  and 
unfavorable  moisture  conditions  might  develop  there  within  a  short 
time  were  it  not  for  the  drainage  systems  now  being  constructed. 
Most  of  this  type,  with  the  exception  of  the  body  in  section  34,  T.  15 
S.,  R.  7  W.,  lies  within  the  boundaries  of  the  present  drainage  dis- 
tricts, and  within  a  short  time  it  will  be  provided  with  a  system  of 
open  and  covered  drains. 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF    DELTA  AREA,   UTAH.  29 

Several  of  the  bodies  of  the  type  carry  excessive  amounts  of  alkali, 
and  this  fact  undoubtedly  accounts  for  the  abandonment  of  several 
hundred  acres  of  land. 

Alfalfa,  grain,  and  sugar  beets  are  the  leading  crops,  the  last  men- 
tioned occupying  the  largest  acreage.  Considerable  areas  have  not 
been  placed  under  cultivation,  partly  because  they  have  not  been  in- 
cluded in  the  normal  development  of  the  district,  and  partly  because 
in  some  localities  the  soil  was  obviously  too  strongly  impregnated 
with  alkali  to  justify  the  planting  of  crops.  A  considerable  pro- 
portion of  the  type,  particularly  in  the  northern  part  of  the  area, 
has  been  abandoned  for  other  reasons  than  alkali  or  lack  of  drainage, 

Oveing  to  the  compactness  and  tenacity  of  the  surface  soil,  this 
type  will  always  be  difficult  to  handle,  although  the  liberal  incorpora- 
tion of  organic  matter  would  improve  the  physical  condition  to  some 
extent, 

Abbott  clay,  silty  phase. — The  Abbott  clay,  silty  phase,  consists  of 
a  dark-gray  compact  heavy  clay  loam  or  clay,  relatively  high  in  silt 
and  10  to  28  inches  deep,  underlain  by  stratified  materials,  mainly 
compact  dull  grayish  brown  clay  loams  and  clays.  In  a  few  places  the 
texture  of  the  surface  soil  is  maintained  without  distinct  change  to  a 
depth  of  6  feet  or  more,  but  such  occurrences  are  rare.  The  color  of 
this  phase  grades  in  many  places  into  the  colors  of  similar  types  in  the 
Woodrow  and  Oasis  series  and  the  boundaries  shown  on  the  map  are 
in  manv  places  rather  arbitrary.  Some  of  the  material  included  with 
this  phase  has  a  rather  light  brownish  tint.  In  places  the  clay  loam 
and  clay  materials  of  the  subsoil  are  displaced  by  strata  of  silt  loam  or 
materials  of  even  lighter  texture.  A  grayish-brown  or  reddish-brown 
mottling  is  not  uncommon  in  the  subsoil  where  the  clay  predominates. 

The  phase  occurs  principally  in  T.  16  S..  R.  7  W.,  a  small  body  west 
of  Hinckley  being  the  extreme  southern  development.  The  areas 
have  a  smooth  level  surface. 

The  texture  and  structure  of  the  soil  material  is  not  favorable  to 
rapid  internal  drainage,  but  up  to  the  time  of  making  the  survey 
water  logging  of  the  land  has  occurred  in  but  few  places.  With  the 
exception  of  the  body  west  of  Hinckley,  and  in  section  11,  T.  16  S., 
R.  7  W,,  where  the  alkali  content  of  the  soil  is  dangerously  near  the 
limit  for  crop  growth,  only  small  amounts  of  injurious  salts  are  pres- 
ent, and  in  a  few  places  the  soil  is  practically  alkali  free. 

Sugar  beets  occupy  almost  the  entire  cultivated  acreage  of  the 
phase.  The  soil  tends  to  crust  over  after  irrigation,  but  it  is  not 
quite  so  difficult  to  handle  as  the  heavier  typical  Abbott  clay.  All 
this  phase  will  be  served  by  drains  upon  the  completion  of  the  works 
now  in  process  of  construction. 

The  table  following  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  sam- 
ples of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  the  typical  Abbott  clay  and  of  its  silty 
phase : 

96177°— 22 3 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Abbott  clay. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

sut. 

Clay. 

Typical  soU: 

520723 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.0 

.0 

.1 
.1 

Percent. 
0.0 
1.3 

.2 
1.0 

Per  cent. 

0.6 

.7 

.3 
.3 

Per  cent. 
3.3 
6.6 

3.9 
1.9 

Per  cent. 
4.9 
8.5 

5.3 

2.7 

Per  cent. 
33.6 
36.6 

45.7 
61.0 

Per  cent. 
57.8 

520724 

SUty  phase: 

520719 

520720 

Subsoil 

Soil 

46.3 
44.5 

Subsoil 

33.0 

LYNNDYL   GRAVELLY    SANDY   LOAM. 


The  surface  soil  of  the  Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam  consists  of 
6  to  12  inches  of  a  light-brown  to  light  grayish  brown  sandy  loam 
containing  fine  waterworn  gravel  and  little  organic  matter.  The 
subsoil  and  substratum  consist  of  irregularly  stratified  gravel,  sand, 
and  sandy  loam  of  light  grayish  brown  color. 

As  occurring  in  tliis  area,  the  surface  soil  varies  considerably  in 
texture  from  place  to  place,  ranging  from  loamy  fine  sand  to  rather 
heavy  textured  sandy  loam,  but  these  variations  are  too  small  in 
extent  to  be  shown  upon  the  map  as  separate  types  or  phases.  Wind- 
blown sand  occurs  in  small  isolated  dunes  on  the  surface  and  in 
accumulations  about  the  base  of  shrubs.  The  materials  in  the  sub- 
soil and  substratum  vary  so  widely  in  texture  and  structure  that  no 
consistent  character  is  maintained,  but  they  are  prevailingly  coarse- 
textured  and  porous.  Slight  cementation  of  the  material  by  lime  a 
few  inches  below  the  surface  exists  in  places,  but  in  all  cases  the  ma- 
terial is  easily  crushed  in  the  hand. 

The  Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam  occurs  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  area,  forming  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  a  terrace  that 
extends  several  miles  north  of  the  area.  The  surface  is  level  to 
gently  rolling  and  lies  from  50  to  75  feet  above  the  floor  of  the  val- 
ley. The  terrace  slopes  are  steep  or  precipitous.  Drainage  is  ex- 
cessive. 

None  of  the  type  within  the  Delta  area  is  under  cultivation  at  the 
present  time,  but  on  a  few  tracts  just  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 
area  alfalfa  apparently  succeeds.  Considerably  more  water  will  be 
required  for  irrigation  than  on  the  other  soils  in  the  area. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analysis  of 
a  sample  of  the  soil  of  this  type : 


Mechanical 

a7ialysis 

of  Lyn 

ndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam. 

Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

520717 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
3.4 

Per  cent. 
10.2 

Per  cent. 
13.0 

Per  cent. 
20.7 

Per  cent. 
18.9 

Per  cent. 
22.5 

Per  cent. 
11.2 

SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA,    UTAH.  31 

LAUONTAN  CLAY  LOAil. 

The  Lahontan  clay  loam  consists  of  12  to  24  inches  of  a  light 
grayish  brown  or  light  brownish  gray  clay  loam,  underlain  by  strati- 
fied deposits  ranging  from  dark-brown  or  black  fine  sandy  loam  to 
grayisli-white  compact  claj\  In  a  few  localities  erosion  has  pro- 
duced a  rather  uneven  topography  and  in  some  areas  the  surface^soil 
has  been  removed  and  the  underlying  gray  clays  exposed.  Other 
variations  consist  of  local  hummocks  of  wind-blown  materials  and  of 
small  areas  covered  with  material  washed  down  from  the  higher 
slopes.  In  some  local  areas  the  surface  soil  is  of  heavier  texture  than 
typical. 

The  subsoil  is  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  the  tliickness  and 
arrangement  of  the  several  strata  composing  it.  The  darker  colored 
fine  sandy  loam  stratum  is  almost  entirely  absent  from  the  northern 
part  and  is  occasionally  wanting  in  the  southern  part  of  the  type. 
The  clay,  while  predominantly  grayish  white,  often  includes  seams 
and  mottlings  of  darker  gray  and  greenish  colors.  Upon  exposure 
to  the  air  this  material  breaks  down,  forming  a  flocculent  grayish 
mass  that  resembles  slaked  lime. 

Only  two  areas  of  this  type  are  developed  within  the  Delta  area. 
One  of  these  lies  in  sec.  27,  T.  15  S..  E.  T  W.,  and  the  other  along 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  area  in  T.  17  S.,  R.  6  W.  The  northern 
area  occupies  a  smooth  flat  area  depressed  a  few  feet  below  the  adja- 
cent soils,  while  the  southern  area  occupies  a  slightly  elevated  posi- 
tion, with  a  surface  sloping  moderately  to  the  west  and  either  smooth 
or  gently  rolling  and  hummocky.  The  drainage  is  deficient.  Prac- 
tically all  this  type  carries  excessive  quantities  of  alkali  and  is  not 
suitable  for  farming. 

DUNESAND. 

Dunesand  consists  of  masses  of  light-brown  wind-blown  sand 
and  fine  sand  occurring  in  the  form  of  small  isolated  dunes  in  various 
parts  of  the  area.  Some  of  the  areas  have  an  extent  as  large  as  40 
acres,  but  most  of  them  cover  less  than  5  acres,  and  many  are  too 
small  to  be  shown  on  the  map.  The  dunes  are  sta^onary  and 
covered  with  brush,  and  in  tlieir  present  condition  are  nonagi'icul- 
tural.  Some  of  the  smaller  dunes  will  in  time  be  leveled  and  the 
land  planted  to  crops,  but  the  majority  of  them  are  too  large  to  be 
removed. 

ROUGH      STONY     LAND. 

Two  small  areas  of  Rough  stony  land  occur  in  the  extreme  south- 
western corner  of  the  area,  where  they  form  the  lower  slopes  of  an 
extensive  basalt  mesa  or  table-land  that  lies  just  beyond  the  bound- 
ary of  this  survey.    The  material  varies  from  steep  talus  slopes  of 


32  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1919. 

angular  basaltic  fragments  to  more  gentle  slopes  carrying  a  thin 
mantle  of  fine  sandy  loam  over  masses  of  basalt.  The  type  is  en- 
tirely nonagricultural. 

ALKALI  AND   DRAINAGE. 

Alkali,  as  a  term  applied  to  soils,  refers  to  soluble  inorganic  or 
mineral  salts  that  may  be  present  in  amounts  sufficiently  large  to 
be  dangerous  to  or  prohibitive  of  the  growth  of  cultivated  crops. 

Alkali  accumulates  in  the  soil  mainly  in  two  ways;  either  it  was 
contained  in  the  soil  material  at  the  time  the  soil  was  formed  or 
deposited,  or  it  was  accumulated  at  some  later  period  through  the 
currents  and  movement  of  surface  or  underground  waters  containing 
the  soluble  materials. 

The  alkali  in  the  soil  of  the  Delta  area  was  accumulated  in  both 
these  ways.  As  the  soil  materials  were  carried  into  the  present 
Sevier  basin  by  the  various  streams,  small  amounts  of  soluble  ma- 
terials were  present  in  the  transporting  waters,  and  these  became 
concentrated  and  remained  in  the  soil  upon  the  removal  of  the  water 
by  evaporation.  The  rainfall  of  this  region  is  low  and  not  sufficient 
materially  to  leach  the  soluble  salts  or  affect  their  distribution  in 
the  soil  and  subsoil  after  deposition,  and  the  amount  of  soluble  salts 
in  the  virgin  soils  at  the  present  time  is  probably  very  much  as  it 
was  at  the  time  the  soils  emerged  from  the  waters  of  Sevier  Lake. 
In  some  of  the  cultivated  lands  the  content  of  alkali  has  been  con- 
siderably increased  by  the  addition  of  soluble  materials  carried  in  the 
irrigation  water  in  the  last  40  or  50  years;  but  in  other  lands  the 
salts  have  probably  been  removed,  and  most  certainly  thev  have  been 
concentrated  in  a  number  of  districts. 

In  this  survey  the  amount  of  alkali  salts  occurring  in  the  soil  was 
determined  in  the  field  by  the  use  of  an  electrolytic  bridge  (Wheat- 
stone  bridge),  and  the  conditions  shown  upon  the  accompanying 
alkali  map  are  the  result  of  such  field  tests  and  of  field  studies  of 
the  condition  of  crops  and  the  character  of  the  native  vegetation. 
The  alkali  map  shows  by  means  of  colors  the  location  and  extent  of 
the  several  grades  of  alkali  lands,  and  in  addition,  by  means  of 
ruling,  the  areas  in  which  the  alkali  salts  are  localized  either  in  the 
surface  soil  or  in  the  subsoil. 

Four  grades  of  alkali  lands  are  mapped.  The  map  (PI.  A.)  shows 
the  conditions  as  they  existed  at  the  time  of  the  survey,  but  it  does  not 
necessarily  follow  that  percentages  of  alkali  shown  will  everywhere 
be  present  within  each  area  separated,  as  the  effects  of  alkali  upon 
vegetation  are  very  often  dependent  upon  the  distribution  of  the  salts 
in  the  soil.  In  a  soil  containing  but  0.2  per  cent,  there  will  be  no 
indication  of  its  presence  either  by  soil  or  plant  conditions,  provid- 


I 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  AgiicuUure,  1919. 


ALKALI    MAP,   DELTA   AREA,   UTAH. 


nx: 


Concenlrations  Concentratio 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF    DELTA  AREA,    UTAH.  33 

inj^  the  salts  are  uniformh'  distribut^id  throughout  the  mass  of  the 
soil.  On  the  other  hand,  the  total  amount  of  alkali  in  the  soil  may 
be  no  greater  than  the  above  amount,  but  the  soil  may  be  entirely 
unproductive  because  the  salts  are  concentrated  at  or  near  the  surface. 
In  the  study  of  alkali  conditions  in  this  area  it  was  found  to  be  a 
general  rule  that  the  condition  of  the  crops,  and  the  growth  and 
character  of  the  native  vegetation,  were  rather  closely  associated 
with  the  amount  of  alkali  in  the  soil.  Exceptions  to  this  general  rule 
occur  in  several  localities,  but  in  such  cases  a  concentration  of  soluble 
salts  is  present  in  some  part  of  the  soil  profile. 

In  the  classification  used  in  this  area,  the  A,  or  alkali-free,  grade 
includes  all  areas  in  which  there  were  no  indications  of  alkali  salts 
in  injurious  amounts,  either  from  the  appearance  of  the  soil,  the 
character  of  the  native  vegetation,  or  the  condition  of  the  cultivated 
crops.  While  small  quantities  of  salts  occur  in  the  soils  of  this 
grade,  the  average,  as  determined  by  field  tests,  is  0.26  per  cent, 
which  in  this  survey  is  considered  insufficient  to  cause  material 
damage. 

The  largest  single  body  of  this  grade  of  land  is  in  the  area  occu- 
pied by  the  Lynndyl  gravelly  sandy  loam  northwest  of  Delta.  A 
smaller  body  of  that  type  east  of  Delta  is  also  of  the  same  grade. 
In  the  lower  lands  the  most  extensive  area  of  alkali-free  soils  is  in 
T.  17  S.,  R.  7  AV.,  in  the  districts  adjacent  to  the  Gunnison  Bend 
Reservoir,  and  the  depressed  channel  of  the  Sevier  River.  There 
is  a  considerable  acreage  of  alkali-free  soils  throughout  the  central 
part  of  T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W.,  but  the  individual  areas  are  smaller  than 
those  to  the  south.  Smaller  isolated  areas  of  this  grade  occur 
throughout  the  rest  of  the  northern  and  central  parts  of  the  area, 
but  in  all  of  T.  18  S.  there  is  practically  no  alkali-free  soil. 

The  B  grade,  or  that  of  moderate  alkali  concentration,  includes 
all  areas  where  the  crops  are  beginning  to  show  the  effects  of  the 
presence  of  alkali,  and  where,  judging  from  the  appearance  of  the 
soil  and  the  character  of  the  native  vegetation,  alkali  is  present  in 
small  but  moderately  injurious  quantities.  The  average  in  the  soils 
in  this  grade  of  land,  as  determined  by  field  tests,  is  0.42  per  cent. 
Over  most  of  the  land  of  this  grade  the  soluble  salts  are  uniformly 
distributed  throughout  the  soil  material  to  a  depth  of  6  feet,  and  the 
areas  where  they  are  concentrated  in  either  the  surface  soil  or  sub- 
soil are  few  and  of  small  extent.  This  grade,  which  is  more  ex- 
tensive than  any  other,  is  developed  in  area§.  of  considerable  size 
in  every  township  except  one,  T.  18  S.,  R.  6  W, 

The  C  grade,  or  that  of  high  alkali  concentration,  includes  all 
areas  where  crops  are  still  being  grown,  but  where  they  are  evidently 
badly  affected  by  alkali.  In  this  grade  the  average  amount  of  alkali 
in  the  soil,  as  determined  by  field  tests,  was  0.62  per  cent.     In  the 


34  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OE   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1»19. 

virgin  soils  the  distribution  of  salts  in  this  grade,  as  indicated  by 
soil  and  vegetative  conditions,  is  not  markedly  different  from  that 
of  the  D  grade,  and  the  separation  of  these  grades  is  probably  not 
very  accurate.  The  largest  areas  of  the  C  grade  lie  in  T.  17  S., 
R.  6  "W..  and  areas  of  varying  size  in  all  the  other  townships. 

The  D  grade,  or  that  of  greatest  alkali  accumulation,  includes  all 
areas  where  the  amount  of  alkali  is  sufficient  to  prevent  the  success- 
ful growing  of  crops  and  where  under  virgin  conditions  the  surface 
soil  is  either  incrusted  and  barren  of  vegetation,  or  carries  only  scat- 
tering growths  of  the  most  alkali-resistant  plants.  In  this  grade  the 
average  amount  of  alkali  is  more  than  3  per  cent.  Such  lands  are 
extensive  in  the  northern  and  southern  parts  of  the  area  near  the 
eastern  boundary,  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham,  around  Hinckley  and 
about  3  miles  southward,  and  in  a  number  of  places  along  the  south- 
ern boundary  of  the  area.  Throughout  the  rest  of  the  survey  high 
concentrations  of  alkali  are  found  in  every  township,  but  the  indi- 
vidual areas  are  for  the  most  part  small. 

In  the  cultivated  areas  it  is  not  always  possible  to  determine  the 
condition  of  the  soils,  with  respect  to  accumulation  of  alkali  salts, 
prior  to  the  beginning  of  irrigation,  as  the  effect  of  irrigation  may 
have  been  to  reduce  the  amount  of  alkali  in  some  localities,  and  it 
certainly  has  increased  the  amount  present  in  the  soil  in  several 
districts.  In  the  virgin  soils  at  the  present  time  very  excessive 
amounts  of  alkali  are  present  in  an  irregular  body  extending  from 
section  13,  T.  16  S.,  R.  7  W.,  northward  to  the  boundary  of  the 
area,  and  a  similar  body  lies  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  area 
in  T.  17  S.,  R.  6  W.  In  both  of  these  localities  the  concentration  of 
alkali  is  apparentl}^  largely  due  to  a  slow  continuous  seepage  from 
the  higher  lands  immediately  east  of  the  area.  In  the  extreme 
southern  part  of  the  area  considerable  bodies  of  virgin  soil  occupy 
a  very  low  elevation,  nearly  as  low  as  Mud  Lake,  a  short  distance 
south  of  the  area,  and  these  soils  undoubtedly  have  contained  ex- 
cessive amounts  of  alkali  ever  since  they  emerged  from  the  waters 
of  the  lake.  In  the  southwestern  part  of  the  area,  in  T.  17  S.,  R.  8 
W.,  the  greater  part  of  the  virgin  soils  has  apparently  not  been 
affected  by  the  use  of  irrigation  water,  and  the  present  alkali  con- 
ditions are  undoubtedly  essentially  as  they  were  prior  to  settlement 
of  the  area.  Throughout  practically  all  of  the  rest  of  the  area  the 
nlkali  conditions  have  been  modified  by  irrigation,  and  the  original 
conditions  are  unknown.  As  the  larger  part  of  this  land  was  at  one 
time  successfully  cultivated,  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  content 
of  soluble  mineral  salts  was  generally  low,  at  least  in  the  surface 
soil.  With  the  extension  of  irrigation  canals  excessive  amounts  of 
alkali  have  developed  in  a  number  of  localities,  directly  as  a  result 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF    DELTA   AREA,    UTAH.  35 

of  seepage  from  canals  and  less  directly  through  a  general  rise  in 
the  level  of  the  water  table. 

A  notable  instance  of  the  effect  of  seepage  is  found  in  T.  16  S., 
K.  7  W.,  where  a  large  canal  skirts  the  outer  boundary  of  the  Lynn 
Bench  and  extends  north  between  sections  22  and  23.  Another 
area  seriously  affected  from  the  same  cause  is  found  along  the 
northern  line  of  T.  17  S.,  R.  8  W.,  and  extending  in  a  southerly 
direction  along  a  canal  that  is  largely  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  The  most  widespread  damage  from  alkali,  however,  has 
resulted  through  the  rise  in  the  level  of  the  underground  water. 
Generally  this  condition  first  developed  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
area  and  extended  northward  as  the  irrigation  canals  reached  out 
to  cover  new  lands.  The  most  striking  example  of  damage  due  to 
a  rise  in  the  ground  water  level  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Abraham,  where 
several  thousand  acres  have  been  made  entirely  worthless  for  agri- 
culture. A  similar  condition  has  arisen  in  the  vicinity  of  Hinckley, 
and  in  another  area  of  less  extent  in  the  northwestern  part  of  T.  16 
S.,  R.  7  W.  Throughout  the  larger  part  of  the  rest  of  the  area,  ex- 
cluding the  districts  where  alkali  has  always  been  present,  large 
amounts  of  alkali  are  found  in  bodies  of  varying  size.  Were  it  not 
for  the  extensive  drainage  systems  that  are  now  being  constructed 
to  remove  the  excess  ground  water,  it  seems  probable  that  the  acreage 
of  alkali  lands  would  increase  rapidly  within  the  next  few  years, 
and  the  crop-producing  acreage  would  fall  to  an  alarmingly  low 
figure. 

The  need  for  drainage  systems,  particularly  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  area,  had  been  realized  for  several  years,  before  the  Delta 
South  Tract  Drainage  District  was  organized  to  include  about  10,000 
acres  southeast  of  the  town  of  Delta,  and  Drainage  District  No.  1 
was  organized  to  include  about  5,240  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Hinckley. 
(PI.  Ill,  Fig,  1.)  As  adveree  underground  water  and  alkali  condi- 
tions continued  to  develop  in  the  land  outside  the  two  districts,  it 
was  evident  that  steps  must  be  taken  to  relieve  those  conditions,  or 
large  areas  of  tillable  soil  would  have  to  be  abandoned.  As  a  result 
Drainage  Districts  Nos.  2,  3,  and  4  were  organized  to  cover  practi- 
cally all  the  irrigated  lands  in  the  valley  not  covered  by  the  older 
districts.  The  work  of  constmction  is  now  C1919)  going  on  at  a 
rapid  rate.     (PL  III,  Fig.  2.) 

IRRIGATION. 

The  climate  of  this  region  is  distinctly  arid,  and  irrigation  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  production  of  crops. 

Water  for  irrigation  was  first  taken  from  the  Sevier  River,  about 
1860,  when  a  colony  of  settlers  from  Fillmore  established  a  settle- 


36  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   1919. 

ment  near  the  present  site  of  Deseret.  The  dams  placed  in  the  chan- 
nel of  the  Sevier  River  for  the  diversion  of  water  were  repeatedly 
washed  out  by  the  spring  floods,  and  the  result  was  often  a  shortage 
of  water  during  the  growing  season.  Later,  as  the  population  of  the 
valley  increased,  reservoirs  were  constructed  to  impound  the  flood 
waters  and  insure  a  continuous  supply  of  water.  The  reservoirs  now 
constructed  along  the  river  are  said  to  have  a  capacity  considerably 
beyond  any  laiown  discharge  of  the  river. 

The  only  gravity  supply  of  irrigation  water  for  this  area  is  in  the 
flow  of  the  Sevier  River.  Stream  gaugings  taken  during  a  period 
of  12  years  at  a  point  near  Leamington  show  an  average  annual  run- 
off of  about  300,000  acre-feet.  At  a  point  about  6  miles  above  Delta 
the  discharge  is  about  350,000  acre-feet,  the  gain  being  due  partly  to 
one  or  two  small  tributaries,  but  largely  to  water  from  underground 
seepage  and  springs.  A  possible  supply  of  water  for  irrigation,  that 
has  not  yet  been  developed,  consists  of  the  underground  water  now 
tapped  for  domestic  use  at  various  depths  below  100  feet.  In  some  of 
the  wells  tliere  is  a  slight  flow ;  in  the  greater  number  the  water  rises 
to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  surface.  The  water  is  of  very  good  quality, 
and  there  is  no  apparent  reason  why  this  supply  could  not  be  drawn 
on,  at  least  to  some  extent,  for  irrigation  by  sinking  10  or  12  inch 
casings  and  installing  gasoline  engines  and  pumps. 

"Water  for  the  lands  in  this  area  is  first  diverted  from  the  Sevier 
River  at  a  point  about  6  miles  above  Delta.  One  branch  of  this  canal 
carries  water  to  the  lands  in  T.  17  S.,  R.  6  W.,  and  supplies  a  part 
of  T.  18  S.,  R.  6  W.  The  larger  branch  extends  west  around  the  point 
of  the  Lynn  Bench  and  supplies  practically  all  of  the  land  in  T.  16  S., 
R.  7  W.,  all  of  the  lands  in  T.  15  S.,  Rs.  7  and  8  W.,  and  a  small  area 
in  the  northern  part  of  T.  16  S.,  R.  8  W.  Gunnison  Bend  Reservoir, 
west  of  Delta,  serves  to  impound  some  of  the  flow  of  the  Sevier  River, 
and  by  the  dams  at  the  southern  end  of  the  reservoir  the  water  is 
raised  to  a  level  that  permits  of  its  diversion  for  the  irrigation  of 
lands  in  the  Abraham,  Hinckley,  Deseret,  and  Oasis  districts. 

In  the  irrigation  of  alfalfa  and  small  grains  the  fields  are  divided 
into  checks  of  varying  size,  which  are  flooded  whenever  necessary. 
Sugar  beets  are  irrigated  by  the  furrow  method.  The  irrigation  sea- 
son is  from  about  April  15  to  late  in  September  or  early  in  October. 
Much  more  water  is  used  in  this  district  than  is  needed,  probably  over 
3^  acre  feet  being  used,  and  this  is  in  large  part  due  to  waste  of  water 
by  the  users,  as  well  as  to  the  use  of  unnecessarily  large  quantities  of 
water  in  the  fields.  In  several  localities  some  water  is  lost  by  seepage 
from  the  larger  canals,  but  that  loss  is  small  compared  with  the  un- 
necessary waste  that  takes  place  after  the  water  leaves  the  larger 
canals.    It  is  probable  that,  with  proper  management,  as  little  as  18 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   DELTA  AREA.    UTAH.  37 

inches  of  water  could  be  used,  with  no  damage  to  crops,  and  with 
benefit  to  the  soils.  The  annual  cost  of  water  to  the  farmers  varies 
from  50  cents  to  $1.50  an  acre,  the  charges  made  by  the  various  com- 
panies ranging  within  these  extremes. 

SUMMARY. 

The  Delta  area.  Utah,  comprises  180  square  miles,  or  115,200  acres. 
It  lies  about  140  miles  southwest  of  Salt  Lake  City,  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  Millard  County  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  Sevier 
Desert.  Topographically  it  is  a  smooth  plain,  the  surface  of  which 
is  broken  only  by  the  low  terrace  forming  the  Lynn  Bench,  and  by 
the  depressed  channel  of  the  Sevier  River. 

The  Sevier  River  traverses  the  area  in  a  southwesterly  direction, 
but  has  no  tributary  streams  within  the  area.  Tenmile  Hollow  Creek 
is  a  small  intermittent  stream  that  carries  seepage  and  waste  irriga- 
tion waters  and  discharges  into  Mud  Lake,  just  south  of  the  area. 

Delta  is  the  largest  town  in  the  area,  and  the  commercial  center  of 
this  district.  Oasis,  Deseret.  and  Hinckley  are  small  rural  settle- 
ments, south  and  west  of  Delta. 

A  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  system  passes  tnrough  the  area,  and 
affords  an  outlet  to  northern,  eastern,  and  Pacific-coast  markets. 
The  area  is  well  supplied  with  graded  earth  roads. 

The  climate  is  arid,  the  rainfall  averaging  about  8  inches.  The 
precipitation  occurs  largely  during  the  late  winter  and  spring 
months.  The  maximum  summer  temperature  is  about  100°  F.,  and 
during  the  winter  the  thermometer  may  go  as  low  as  —10  or  —15°  F. 
Killing  frosts  often  occur  as  late  as  the  latter  part  of  May.  and  the 
first  frosts  in  the  fall  are  expected  early  in  September.  High  winds 
are  common  throughout  all  but  the  winter  months.  The  usual  cli- 
matic conditions  favor  the  growing  of  all  the  hardier  field  crops  and 
vegetables,  but  the  short  gi-owing  season,  the  cool  nights,  and  the  dan- 
ger oi'  late  spring  frosts  prevent  the  growth  of  the  more  tender  plants 
and  fruits. 

Alfalfa,  sugar  beets,  and  grain  are  practically  the  only  crops  grown 
in  the  area. 

With  minor  exceptions,  the  soils  are  derived  from  somewhat 
weathered  sediments  deposited  by  the  Se^-ier  River.  They  are  pre- 
vailingly hea\-y  in  texture  and  range  from  light  grayish  brown  or 
light  brownish  gray  to  dark  gray  in  color.  Both  surface  soils  and 
subsoils  are  highly  calcareous. 

Seven  series  of  soils  are  mapped,  and  these  are  represented  by  11 
types  and  5  type  phases.  In  addition,  two  miscellaneous  classifica- 
tions. Dunesand  and  Rough  stony  land,  are  mapped.  Only  about 
one-third  of  the  area  is  under  cultivation  at  the  present  time.    The 


38  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF  THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1919. 

typas  of  the  Cache,  AVoodrow,  Oasis,  (xordon,  and  Abbott  series  are 
the  most  important  agricultural  soils. 

The  drainage  is  not  always  sufficient  to  remove  the  excess  irri- 
gation water  and  as  a  result  there  are  considerable  areas  in  which 
unfavorable  alkali  and  moisture  conditions  have  rendered  the  land 
worthless  for  cultivation.  Most  of  these  areas  can  be  reclaimed,  and 
extensive  drainage  operations  are  now  being  carried  out  to  effect  such 
reclamation. 

Irrigation  is  necessary  for  crop  production,  and  the  flow  of  the 
Sevier  River  is  stored  in  reservoirs  to  insure  a  supply  of  water  dur- 
ing the  growing  season.  Underground  water  constitutes  a  possible 
source  of  future  supply. 

o 


rv]" 


■j 


nn 


w^  n 


CONVENTIONAL 


^---r 

*i>^- 

"SS^uS^ 

t,S;eS'"S 

iS'''-v'-'.i 

:.    -^"^t 

,>S?S- 

..■=_~ 

l'  ■■="=• 

.^^^Si 

iis»j;5«,i 

'SS. 

+ 

■" 

^^ 

~"i§ 

■■""""■"■ 

U,,™-n^^ 

ll' 

"""^' 

S^ 

^:i 



rZ3l    .SiTii 


[Public  Resoiaition — ^No.  9.] 

JOINT  RKSOLT'TION  AmcndiiiK  public  resolution  numbered  ciRht,  Fifty-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-tbird,  nineteen  liuudred  and  one,  "  providing 
for  the  printlnf;  annually  of  Ibe  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  IX-- 
partment  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  J)y  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America  in  Congress  asseinhled,  That  public  resolution  nuinbored  eight.  Fifty- 
sixth  Congress,  second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hun- 
dred and  cue,  be  amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and  in- 
sorting  in  lieu  thereof  tlie  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on 
field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which 
one  thousand  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three 
thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture :  Provided,  That  in  addition 
to  the  number  of  copies  above  provided  for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as  the 
manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with  the  necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to  ac- 
company it,  a  report  on  each  area  suiTeyed,  in  the  form  of  advance  sheets,  bound 
in  paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  each  Senator 
from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Representative  for  the 
congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made,  and  one  thousand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

[On  July  1,  1901,  the  .Division  of  Soils  was  rH)rganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


\n!is  Slll-veyetl   ill    IimIi  slmwu   I'.v  sliailiiij;. 


